Gum arabic and beeswax as edible coatings for extending the postharvest shelf life of tomato (<i>Lycopersicon esculentum</i>. L) fruit

Abstract

 Edible coatings can provide an alternative for extending the postharvest shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables. The effect of two edible coatings and their combinations were studied on some physical qualities of tomato fruits. Gum arabic was formulated from the exudate of Acacia tree, and beeswax was sourced from the Horticulture Department, University for Development Studies. Cassava starch was used as a plasticizer for both materials. Tomato fruits were treated with gum arabic, beeswax, and a combination of the two at concentrations 5, 10, and 15%. Treated and untreated fruits were examined for their weight loss and decay during 20 days of storage and sampling were done at 4 days intervals. Fruits coated with gum arabic alone did not show much positive impact on weight loss and decay when compared to the control fruits. The beeswax alone however showed a positive impact on weight loss and decay. Furthermore, the combination of the beeswax and gum arabic resulted in the highest performance with reduced weight loss of 26.7%, and 13.9% decay after 20 days in storage. Hence, the combination of gum arabic and beeswax could extend the postharvest shelf life of tomato fruits at 29˚C and 72 - 75% temperature and relative humidity, respectively.