Effect Of Edible Gum Coating,Glycerin And Calcium Lactate Treatment On The Post Harvest Quality Of Peach Fruit

Abstract

Effect of edible gum and calcium lactate treatment on the post-harvest quality of whole peach fruits stored for 32 days at 10⁰C were investigated. Different concentrations of additives were prepared e.g. peaches in treatments AS₁ and AS₂ were dipped in (1%) and (2%) calcium lactate solution respectively for 20 minutes and coated with xanthan gum (1%) + glycerin  (2.5%), whereas peaches in treatments AS₃ and AS₄ were dipped in (1%) and (2%) calcium lactate solution respectively for 20 minutes and coated with gum arabic (1%) + glycerin (2.5%) respectively. Treatment AS₀ was left as control. The fruits were packed in corrugated soft board cartons and stored for the whole period of one month at ambient temperature and analyzed physicochemically i.e. total soluble solid, pH, ascorbic acid, titratable acidity, sugar acid ratio, % weight loss, % decay index, firmness and sensory (color, flavor, texture and overall acceptability) at every 4 days of storage interval. Statistical analysis showed that storage intervals and treatments had significant (P<0.05) effect on the quality characteristics of the whole peach fruits throughout storage. Physicochemical analysis of peach fruits disclosed that (1%) and (2%) calcium lactate solution and edible coating of  xanthan gum (1%) +  glycerin (2.5%) treated fruits had little improvement on shelf life extension of peach fruit while (1%) and (2%) calcium lactate solution and edible coating of gum arabic (1%) + glycerin (2.5%) treated fruits had shown better improvement. There was an increasing trend in TSS (8.37 - 10.93^obrix),  pH (3.83-4.32), sugar acid ratio (9.32-14.85), weight loss (0- 4.66 %), decay index (0 - 42.73%) and a decreasing trend in firmness (1.8-0.31 kg), acidity % (0.90 -  73%), ascorbic acid content (7.0 - 4.25 mg/100g). There was a gradual decrease in color (8.1- 4.0), texture (8.4-5.5), flavor (8.3 - 4.7) overall acceptability (8.3 - 4.7). The maximum mean value for TSS was observed in treatment AS₀ (10.02), pH AS₀ (4.198), acidity % AS₄ (0.86), sugar acid ratio AS₀ (13.18), ascorbic acid AS₄ (5.85), weight loss % AS₀ (4.08), firmness AS₄ (1.31), decay index % AS₀ (22.91), color AS₄ (7.17), texture AS₄ (7.51), flavor AS₄ (7.34) and overall acceptability AS₄ (7.34).

Key Words: Peach fruit