Impact of Chitosan and Alginate Based Edible Coating on Shelf Life and Postharvest Quality of Kinnow Mandarin

The Kinnow mandarin (Citrus nobilis x Citrus deliciosa) was highly perishable citrus fruit, after harvest the quality of Kinnow fruits undergoes rapid changes due to the sharpen rate of ripening, respiration and transpiration. Edible coating formulation of chitosan (0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%), alginate (0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%), composite formulation of chitosan and alginate (0.5% chitosan+0.5% alginate & 1% chitosan+0.5% alginate) were evaluated in relation to enhancing and improving shelf life and postharvest quality of Kinnow respectively. Kinnow fruit shelf life efficiency was evaluated on the basis of postharvest quality parameters like weight loss percent, firmness, pH, total soluble solids, total acidity and ascorbic acid from 6th to 24th day during incubation at ambient room temperature (20-25°C). The results signifies that the Kinnow fruit coated with alginate 1% have higher shelf life efficiency up to 24 days; however chitosan 1% coated fruits shown to have higher ascorbic acid retention as compared to untreated Kinnow fruits. The principal component analysis of different quality parameters for studied treatment shows 65.7 % variation in component 1 and 16.6% variation in component 2. PCA plot elucidate that coated fruit samples were high positive values and completely different from untreated samples.