DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF ANTIOXIDANT COATING ON Fragaria spp. STORED UNDER ISOTHERMAL CONDITIONS

Abstract

Strawberry (Fragaria spp.) is a non-climacteric fruit, widely consumed in several countries, but is extremely sensitive and susceptible to mechanical damage during harvest, transport, and storage, reducing the shelf life. In order to prolong the shelf life of this product, edible starch-based coatings were developed, with propolis extract (MSP) and without the addition of ethanolic propolis extract (MS) and uncoated samples, used as control (MC). All samples were stored under isothermal conditions (4 °C ± 0.5 °C), for 10 days. Physicochemical analyzes (pH, mass variation, vitamin C, color, and phenolic compounds) were carried out to characterize and identify the coating efficiency in the conservation of strawberries. The formulations of the coatings with and without the addition of propolis had a significant (p ≤ 0.05) effect on the variation of fruit weight. The propolis coating showed greater stability in the vitamin C content and pH levels, up to the 10^th day of cold storage, in comparison to the samples with starch coating and the control. The treatments (MS, MSP, and MC) did not significantly influence (p > 0.05) the color and the content of total polyphenols.