Effects of chitosan coating on postharvest life and quality of guava
(Psidium guajava L.) fruit during cold storage
The effect of chitosan coating on physiochemical characteristics of ‘pearl’ guava fruit was investigated.
The fruit were treated with 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0% chitosan coatings, respectively, and then stored at 11 ◦C and
90–95%RH. Treatment with2.0%chitosansignificantly reducedfirmness and weightloss,delayedchanges
in chlorophyll and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents and soluble solids content (SSC), and retarded the
loss of titratable acidity (TA) and vitamin C during 12 days of storage. This treatment could induce a
significant increase in the activities of peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT),
and inhibited superoxide free radical (O2
•−) production. It was suggested that effects of chitosan on
increase of antioxidant ability might be beneficial in delaying ripening process in guava fruit during cold
storage.