Abstract: (5016 Views)
Strawberry fruit is popular for fresh eating but it has a short shelf and rapidly infected The consumer demanded to prolong its shelf life. Chitosan is a natural biopolymer which has an antimicrobial effect on fresh fruits and vegetables. Some essential oils also have the antimicrobial activity. The combination of these two agents can be applied in order to prolong the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables. In this study 0%, 0.3% and 0.5% of chitosan solutions, 1 mg/l of vanillin + 0.3%of chitosan and 1 mg/l of vanillin + 0.5%of chitosan solutions were used to coat strawberry. Fungi isolated from an infected strawberry fruit, after screening was incubated to the fresh fruit coated with the prepared solutions and kept in refrigerator at 4 o C. The solid soluble materials, ascorbic acid and the titerable acidity were measured before and after the coating. The results showed chitosan plus vanillin can prolong the shelf life of the strawberry up to 18 days at 4 o C.
Received: 2009/05/1 | Accepted: 2010/01/1 | Published: 2012/07/1