2022 Volume 21 Issue 3 Pages 359-366
Maintenance of green peel is desirable during storage and marketing of sudachi (Citrus sudachi Hort. ex Shirai) fruit. This study investigated the potential of edible coatings and 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatment in extending the postharvest life during storage at 10, 15, and 20°C. Edible coatings were applied on freshly harvested green sudachi fruit either as a layer by layer (LBL), which involved alternate deposition of chitosan and alginate, or as an ion complex (IC) coating, which involved one-time deposition of a chitosan and alginate mixture. Storage at 10°C maintained the green peel color for up to 15 d with no significant differences among the treatments. At 15 and 20°C, the edible coatings significantly lowered ethylene production and respiration rates, and noticeably maintained green peel color for up to 19 d when applied as tri-layer IC, and 15 d when applied as tri-layer LBL. In addition, tri-layer IC coatings during storage at 15°C appeared to be more effective as they further extended the green peel stage to 21 d compared with 7 and 11 d for mono- and bilayer coatings, respectively. By contrast, 1-MCP treatment failed to inhibit peel yellowing, but instead stimulated fruit respiration and ethylene production. From these results, it is evident that edible coatings may provide a promising postharvest method to extend the postharvest life and preserve the quality of sudachi fruit.
