Effects of chitosan coating on postharvest life and quality of longan fruit

The effects of chitosan coating in extending postharvest life of longan fru its and maintaining their quality were investigated. The fruits were treate d with aqueous solutions of 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0% chitosan, respectively, and t hen stored at 2 degreesC and 90% relative humidity. Changes in respiration rate, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, colour, eating quality, and weight loss were measured. The effect of chitosan coating on disease incidence wa s also evaluated. The application of chitosan coating reduced respiration r ate and weight loss, delayed the increase in PPO activity and the changes i n colour, and eating quality, and partially inhibited decay of fruit during storage. Furthermore, increasing the concentration of chitosan coating enh anced the beneficial effects of chitosan on postharvest life and quality of the fruit. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.