Coating of tomato fruit with gum arabic has been found to delay the ripening process and maintain the
antioxidant capacity. Gum arabic in aqueous solutions of 5, 10, 15 and 20% was applied as an edible
coating to green-mature tomatoes which were stored at 20 ◦C and 80–90% RH for 20 days. Fruit coated
with 10% gum arabic delayed the ripening process by slowing down the rate of respiration and ethylene
production and also maintained total antioxidant capacity, lycopene content, total phenolics and total
carotenoids during storage as compared to the uncoated control and fruit treated with 5% gum arabic
concentration. The results suggest that by using 10% gum arabic as an edible coating, the ripening process
of tomatoes can be delayed and the antioxidant can be preserved for up to 20 days during storage at 20 ◦C
without any negative effects on postharvest quality.