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<p>Fresh-cut apples are highly susceptible to oxidative browning, moisture loss, textural degradation, and microbial spoilage, all of which limit shelf life and marketability. Edible coatings have emerged as an effective postharvest technology for maintaining the quality of minimally processed fruits; however, systematic comparisons of natural and composite coating formulations under uniform storage conditions remain scarce. This study evaluated the effects of twelve edible coating treatments—including aloe vera gel, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), Tulsi extract, calcium chloride with ascorbic acid, cysteine, and their combinations—on the quality attributes of fresh-cut ‘Royal Gala’ apples stored at 5 ± 2°C for 16&#xa0;days. At two-day intervals, samples were monitored for physiological weight loss, firmness, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid content, total phenols, total soluble solids (TSS), antioxidant activity, polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD), and microbial load. While all attributes changed significantly over the storage period, pronounced differences were observed among treatments (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). The composite coating T8 (HPMC 1% + CaCl<sub>2</sub> 0.5% + AA 1.5%) performed best, maintaining higher firmness (3.28 ± 0.16 N), ascorbic acid (17.244 ± 1.255&#xa0;mg/100&#xa0;g), total phenols (160.21 ± 7.45&#xa0;mg GAE/100&#xa0;g), TSS (14.6 ± 0.15%), and antioxidant activity (12.458 ± 0.475&#xa0;μmol Trolox g<sup>-1</sup>), while exhibiting the lowest PPO (32.44 ± 0.75 U min<sup>-1</sup>&#xa0;g<sup>-1</sup>), POD (56.15 ± 1.18 U min<sup>-1</sup>&#xa0;g<sup>-1</sup>), and microbial counts (3.96 ± 0.25 log CFU/g). Although titratable acidity showed no significant differences among treatments, most coatings conferred substantial improvements in physicochemical stability and microbial quality. Overall, the findings demonstrate that composite coatings integrating natural polymers with antioxidant agents offer a synergistic effect and represent a promising strategy for extending shelf life and enhancing the quality of fresh-cut apples during refrigerated storage.</p>

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Effects of coating treatments on the quality and shelf life of fresh-cut apples (Malus × domestica Borkh.) var. Royal Gala under cold storage

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月26日

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  • Aastha Dubey,
  • Uzma Manzoor,
  • Shalini Singh,
  • Prasun Kumar Singh,
  • Anurag Malik,
  • Avni Vij,
  • Ramesh Chavan,
  • Seid Hussen Muhie

摘要

Fresh-cut apples are highly susceptible to oxidative browning, moisture loss, textural degradation, and microbial spoilage, all of which limit shelf life and marketability. Edible coatings have emerged as an effective postharvest technology for maintaining the quality of minimally processed fruits; however, systematic comparisons of natural and composite coating formulations under uniform storage conditions remain scarce. This study evaluated the effects of twelve edible coating treatments—including aloe vera gel, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), Tulsi extract, calcium chloride with ascorbic acid, cysteine, and their combinations—on the quality attributes of fresh-cut ‘Royal Gala’ apples stored at 5 ± 2°C for 16 days. At two-day intervals, samples were monitored for physiological weight loss, firmness, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid content, total phenols, total soluble solids (TSS), antioxidant activity, polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD), and microbial load. While all attributes changed significantly over the storage period, pronounced differences were observed among treatments (p < 0.05). The composite coating T8 (HPMC 1% + CaCl2 0.5% + AA 1.5%) performed best, maintaining higher firmness (3.28 ± 0.16 N), ascorbic acid (17.244 ± 1.255 mg/100 g), total phenols (160.21 ± 7.45 mg GAE/100 g), TSS (14.6 ± 0.15%), and antioxidant activity (12.458 ± 0.475 μmol Trolox g-1), while exhibiting the lowest PPO (32.44 ± 0.75 U min-1 g-1), POD (56.15 ± 1.18 U min-1 g-1), and microbial counts (3.96 ± 0.25 log CFU/g). Although titratable acidity showed no significant differences among treatments, most coatings conferred substantial improvements in physicochemical stability and microbial quality. Overall, the findings demonstrate that composite coatings integrating natural polymers with antioxidant agents offer a synergistic effect and represent a promising strategy for extending shelf life and enhancing the quality of fresh-cut apples during refrigerated storage.