Effect of Thai herb essential oils incorporated in hydroxypropyl methylcellulose-based nanocomposite coatings on quality of fresh mango stored at ambient temperature

Abstract

Importance of the work: Mango is a perishable fruit which is easily spoiled particularly by anthracnose and consequently shorten its shelf-life. To prolong the shelf-life, edible coating is a promising approach.
Objectives: To investigate the effect of Thai essential oils (EOs) in hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)-based coatings on the quality of mango.
Materials & Methods: The EOs (ginger; G, plai; P or fingerroot; F) at a concentration of 15 g/L were incorporated in an HPMC-based nanocomposite coating to reduce the anthracnose incidence in mango. Fresh ‘Namdokmai Sithong’ mangoes were dipped in the HPMC-based nanocomposite solutions with and without each EO and compared with uncoated and water-dipped mangoes.
Results: The coating significantly reduced weight loss, delayed firmness loss and
internal color changes and decreased the disease severity of fresh mangoes at ambient temperature (30°C) and 55% relative humidity. The shelf-life of the coated mangoes was extended to 15 d at 30°C, compared with uncoated samples (9 d). Furthermore, the addition of EO significantly improved the antifungal activity of the edible coating material.
Main finding: Active HPMC-EO-based nanocomposite coatings helped to inhibit the growth of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and extended the shelf-life of mango. This will benefit fruit generally sold at ambient temperature and will reduce agricultural waste from fruit deterioration.