The effects of gum arabic coatings combined with lemongrass oil and/or pomegranate peel extract on freshly harvested mature 'Wonderful' pomegranate fruit were studied. Fruit were coated with gum arabic (GA) (1.5% w/v) alone or enriched with lemongrass oil (LM) (0.1% v/v) and/or pomegranate peel extract (PP) (1% w/v). Fruit were packed into standard open top ventilated cartons (dimensions: 0.40 m long, 0.30 m wide and 0.12 m high), and stored for 6 weeks at 5 ± 1 °C (90% RH). Evaluations were made every 2 weeks of cold storage and after 5 d of shelf life (20 °C and 65% RH). Fruit coated with GA + PP (4.09%) and GA + PP + LM (4.21%) coatings recorded the least cumulative weight loss compared to the uncoated control (9.87%). After 6 weeks, uncoated control and GA + PP + LM recorded the highest (24.55 mg CO2Kg-1h-1) and lowest (10.76 mg CO2Kg-1h-1) respiration rate, respectively. Coating treatments reduced the incidence of decay and treatments GA + LM + PP and GA + PP recorded the highest total flavonoid content between 2 and 6 weeks of storage. The findings suggest that GA coatings with/without LM and PP can be a beneficial postharvest treatment for 'Wonderful' pomegranates to reduce weight loss and decay development during cold storage.
Keywords: Punica granatum; coating; decay; gum arabic.