engleski

Use of chitosan on the storability of strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duch.)

Biodegradable coatings applied to fruits are environmentally friendly and healthy treatments, which preserve fresh fruit quality and safety during postharvest storage. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of a postharvest treatment with chitosan and chitosan with ascorbic acid on polyphenols and antioxidant activity in strawberries stored at 2°C, for 14 days.Strawberry fruit cv. „Clery“ were obtained from an organic tunnel crop production system located in Maribor, Slovenia. Fruits were coated with 1% chitosan and chitosan with 0.5 % ascorbic acid. Non treated fruits represented control group. During storage time strawberries were sampled after 0, 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 14 days and spectrometrically analyzed for total phenolic and flavonoid content, total anthocyanins, and antioxidant activity using DPPH assay.Results were statistically analysed using Duncan's multiple range test.Concentrations of total phenols were higher in control samples than in treated ones.Total flavonoid content differed significantly between chitosan and chitosan with ascorbic acid treatment, first one having the higher concentration, but both treatments did not differ significantly compared to control sample. Anthocyanin content and antioxidant activity differed significantly among applied treatments, with control sample having the highest concentration, followed by sample treated with chitosan and combination of chitosan and ascorbic acid. The influence of storage time was especially apparent in control samples where all determined compounds as well as antioxidant activity increased over storage time. In samples treated with both chitosan and combination of chitosan and ascorbic acid there was no regular pattern of storage days influence. In conclusion, both chitosan treatments delayed ripening as reflected in retarded synthesis of anthocyanins, flavonoids, total phenols and antioxidant potential.

strawberry; chitosan; storage; polyphenols

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