The growing interest in natural edible coatings to substitute commercial waxing would
preserve agricultural products' postharvest quality. Tomato fruits' physical and chemical
changes were investigated post-coating with 1.5% guar gum, then stored at room
temperature or cold storage conditions. Tomato fruits at “breaker stage” were soaked in
a 1.5% guar gum solution for 1 minute and then stored at room temperature (21°C, RH
45%) or cold storage (10°C, RH 85%). Results showed that guar gum coating
significantly (P≤ 0.05) preserved fruit firmness and organoleptic quality attributes. The
fruit weight loss, decay percentage, Titratable Acidity (TA), Total Soluble Solids (TSS),
and fruit color development were significantly preserved in guar gum-coated fruits
compared to non-coated fruits. Guar gum could maintain the quality of tomato fruit
combined with low temperature for 35 days. Moreover, fruits coated with 1.5% guar gum
kept at room temperature preserved the quality of fruits as uncoated fruits stored at cold
temperatures. Therefore, guar gum could be an alternative to cold storage, as it is
environmentally friendly and more economical than cold storage, especially in developing
countries.
 

Title

Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology

Publisher

Tarbiat Modares University Press

Publisher Country

Iran

Indexing

Thomson Reuters

Impact Factor

1.3

Publication Type

Both (Printed and Online)

Volume

25

Year

2023

Pages

963-974