New edible coatings composed of galactomannans and collagen blends to improve the postharvest quality of fruits: influence on fruits gas transfer rate

Abstract

The objective of this work was to produce new edible coatings, based on a mixture of galactomannans from novel sources (seeds of Adenanthera pavonina and Caesalpinia pulcherrima), collagen and glycerol, and to determine their influence in gas transfer rates when they are applied on mangoes and apples. The first part of the work consisted in obtaining coating solutions with the convenient values of wettability for each fruit; such coating solutions were then characterized in terms of their permeability (to CO2, O2 and water vapour), mechanical properties, colour and opacity. Gas transfer rates from mangoes coated with a solution of A. pavonina galactomannan (0.5%), collagen (1.5%) and glycerol (1.5%) were compared with those of mangoes without coating: 28% less O2 consumption and 11% less CO2 production were observed in coated mangoes. The same procedure was performed in apples (in this case using C. pulcherrima galactomannan (0.5%), collagen (1.5%) and no glycerol); the CO2 production and the O2 consumption was approximately 50% lower in apples with coating than in apples without coating. The results suggest that these coatings can reduce gas transfer rates in these fruits, and can be therefore important tools to extend their shelf life.