The effectiveness of the treatments
in extending fruit shelf-life was evaluated by determining fungal decay, respiration rate, quality attributes and overall visual
appearance. No sign of fungal decay was observed during the storage period for fruit coated with 1.5% CS (with or without the addition
of CaGlu) or 1% CS + 0.5% CaGlu. By contrast, 12.5% of the strawberries coated with 1% CS lacking calcium salt were infected after
five days of storage. The chitosan coating reduced respiration activity, thus delaying ripening and the progress of fruit decay due to senescence.
Chitosan coatings delayed changes in weight loss, firmness and external colour compared to untreated samples. Strawberries
coated with 1.5% chitosan exhibited less weight loss and reduced darkening than did those treated with 1% chitosan, independently
of the presence or absence of CaGlu. However, addition of calcium to the 1% chitosan solution increased the firmness of the fruit. Coated
samples had greater visual acceptability than had untreated fruits. The addition of calcium gluconate to the chitosan coating formulation
increased the nutritional value by incrementing the calcium content of the fruit.