Effect of Chitosan Coating on the Physicochemical Characteristics of Brinjal Quality during Storage

Chitosan-based coating was preferred in recent years owing to its non-toxic, biodegradable, and biocompatible properties. The main purpose of Chitosan coating is to maintain the quality and to extend shelf-life of fresh fruits. This will also prevent the microbial spoilage. Chitosan has been proven one of the best biomaterial to be edible and biologically safe as it is a polysaccharide. Chitosan coating offers a defensive barrier against bacterial contamination and loss of moisture from the surface of food products, thus extending their shelf life.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the different Chitosan containing solutions in Brinjal to improve the shelf-life. This was evaluated by determining the ripening stages like weight loss, firmness, pH, total sugars, reducing sugars and non- reducing sugars. The results have proved that the addition of Lactic acid at 1% (w/v based on chitosan) and Tween 80 at 0.1% (v/v) in chitosan solution improved coating properties delaying the ripening stages with lowest weight loss (8.8%), lowest firmness (49%), with no change in pH (4.6-4.7), high total sugars (91%), high reducing sugars(50%) and low non-reducing sugars (45%) in brinjal.