Abstract
Bananas have a very short shelf life due to their climacteric nature, which means they continue to ripen even after harvest. As a result, a novel postharvest management strategy is required to extend the shelf life of the fruit while decreasing wastage and losses. The application of edible coatings to extend the shelf life of bananas and maintain postharvest quality is being considered as a potential option. To our knowledge, little research has been published on the application of Aloe vera and moringa coatings enriched with chitosan nanoparticles to enhance the shelf life of banana fruit at room storage. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of adding chitosan nanoparticles to the edible coatings to maintain the post-harvest quality and prolong the shelf life of bananas considering the preservative and antioxidant properties of Aloe vera and moringa leaf extracts. Aloe vera and moringa plant extracts were applied as a coating on the surface of the bananas to test the effect of the treatment on firmness, weight loss, total soluble solids (TSS), mineral content, protein content, total phenolics, and shelf life over a 24-day storage period at 24 ± 1°C. When Aloe vera and moringa plant extracts were tested, the results showed that Aloe vera coating had significant (p < 0.05) effect, reduced TSS value, retained fruit firmness, and had a greater overall phenolic content compared to the control and the moringa coatings during storage. However, moringa coatings significantly (p < 0.05) retained the mineral and protein content of banana fruits. Both coatings extended the shelf life by up to 4 days compared to the control. Furthermore, chitosan nanoparticles (CN) mixed with Aloe vera and moringa basal coatings were used as postharvest coating treatments to improve their barrier properties and extend the shelf life of Cavendish bananas. When compared to basal Aloe vera (AV) and Moringa oleifera (MO) coatings, the coatings enhanced with chitosan preserved the quality of bananas and extended shelf life by 3 and 4 days, respectively. Moringa oleifera plus chitosan nanoparticle (MO+CN) and Aloe vera plus chitosan nanoparticle (AV+CN) were then tested on ethylene treated and non-ethylene treated Cavendish bananas. MO+CN had a better performance and was also consistent in slowing ripening processes., The delayed weight loss, retained fruit firmness, and reduced disease incidences in ethylene treated banana was achived by coating with MO+CN. MO+CN had a significant (p < 0.05) effect on ethylene treated compared to non-ethylene treated bananas. The MO+CN treatment received the highest score in a consumer acceptance vi test. This study proves that edible coatings containing chitosan nanoparticles could be used for maintaining the postharvest quality and extending the shelf life of bananas. These findings highlighted the edible coatings' capacity to operate as a gas barrier, altering the internal fruit environment. According to the findings of this study, adding chitosan nanoparticles to aloe and moringa edible coatings improved the quality of banana fruit during storage at room temperatures. The MO+CN coating was the most effective for quality preservation of banana fruit. As a result, MO+CN is recommended for coating banana fruit to improve postharvest quality and shelf life.
M.Sc. (Botany)