S23 - Session O2 - Effect of edible coatings on the quality characteristics of sweet cherry during postharvest storage

Authors: Sílvia Afonso *, Ivo Oliveira, Carlos Ribeiro, Alice Vilela, Anne S. Meyer, Berta Gonçalves

Sweet cherry is a highly perishable fruit and therefore has a short shelf life, thus this reduces its availability on the market. Some of the effects of the rapid senescence of this fruit are weight loss, loss of acidity, softening, colour changes, surface pitting, stem browning, and development of decay. Numerous postharvest strategies have been applied in order to maintain sweet cherry quality and to promote a longer shelf life for this fruit, such as the use of bio-based edible coatings. This work aims to study the effectiveness of aqueous (A) and hydroethanolic (H) extracts of medicinal and aromatic plants ( Mentha piperita (MP), Satureja montana (SM) and Thymus vulgaris (TV)), Aloe vera (Al), and chitosan (Qh) as edible coatings on fruit physical and chemical parameters of cv. Early Bigi . Following treatments, sweet cherries were storage at 2+-1 ⁰C and 95 % relative humidity and were removed after 3 (T3), 7 (T7), and 14 (T14) days of cold storage (CS) and, thereafter, maintained at 20 ⁰C for more 3 days to evaluate their shelf life (3 + SL). All treatments reduced fruit weight and firmness losses after CS and 3 + SL. All postharvest treatments led to a lower ripening index compared to control fruits, after CS and 3 + SL. Satureja montana (SMA) and Thymus vulgaris (TVA) coatings reduced the loss of phenolic compounds in postharvest. Coatings improved the overall antioxidant activity (DPPH and FRAP) of sweet cherries. These results indicate that extracts from aromatic and medicinal plants could be used as an innovative, safe, and natural postharvest strategy to preserve the quality and increase the self life of sweet cherries.