Effects of chitosan treatment on the storability and quality properties of longan fruit during storage

Yuzhao Lin; Na Li; Hetong Lin; Mengshi Lin; Yihui Chen; Hui Wang; Mark A Ritenour; Yifen Lin

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.125627

Effects of chitosan treatment on the storability and quality properties of longan fruit during storage

Food Chem. 2020 Feb 15:306:125627. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.125627. Epub 2019 Oct 2.

Authors

Yuzhao Lin¹, Na Li¹, Hetong Lin², Mengshi Lin³, Yihui Chen¹, Hui Wang¹, Mark A Ritenour⁴, Yifen Lin⁵

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Postharvest Technology of Agricultural Products, College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China; Key Laboratory of Postharvest Biology of Subtropical Special Agricultural Products (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University), Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China.
² Institute of Postharvest Technology of Agricultural Products, College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China; Key Laboratory of Postharvest Biology of Subtropical Special Agricultural Products (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University), Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China. Electronic address: hetonglin@163.com.
³ Food Science Program, Division of Food System & Bioengineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211-5160, USA.
⁴ Indian River Research & Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Fort Pierce 34945-3138, USA.
⁵ Institute of Postharvest Technology of Agricultural Products, College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China; Key Laboratory of Postharvest Biology of Subtropical Special Agricultural Products (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University), Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China. Electronic address: yifenlin@126.com.

PMID: 31610328
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.125627

Abstract

Effects of various concentrations of Kadozan (chitosan) treatment on storability and quality properties of harvested 'Fuyan' longans were investigated. Compared to the control samples, Kadozan treated-longans displayed lower fruit respiration rate, lower pericarp cell membrane permeability, pericarp browning index, pulp breakdown index, fruit disease index, and weight loss, but higher rate of commercially acceptable fruit, higher levels of pericarp chlorophyll, carotenoid, anthocyanin, flavonoid and total phenolics, higher amounts of pulp total soluble sugar, sucrose, total soluble solids, and vitamin C. These results revealed Kadozan treatment could increase storability and retain better quality of harvested longan fruit. Among different concentrations of Kadozan, the dilution of 1:500 (V_Kadozan: V_{Kadozan + Water}) showed the best results in storability and maintained the best quality of longans during storage. These findings demonstrated that Kadozan could be a facile and eco-friendly postharvest handling approach for increasing storability and lengthening shelf-life of harvested 'Fuyan' longan fruit.

Keywords: Chitosan; Kadozan; Longan fruit; Nutritive properties; Quality attributes; Storability.

MeSH terms

Chitosan / pharmacology*
Fruit / drug effects
Fruit / metabolism
Sapindaceae / drug effects
Sapindaceae / metabolism*

Substances

Chitosan

Supplementary concepts

Dimocarpus