Quality and postharvest-shelf life of cold-stored strawberry fruit as affected by gum arabic (<i>Acacia senegal</i>) edible coating

The impact of gum arabic (GA) (10 and 15% w/v) on the quality and postharvest-shelf life of strawberry at storage condition of 4 ± 1°C for 10 days were evaluated. Significant (p < .05) differences were found for the overall 15% GA-coating as compared with the control. The application of GA-coatings maintained the total contents of phenolic, anthocyanin and total soluble solid (TSS) but significantly (p < .05) retarded the increase in polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, reduced weight loss, and completely inhibited fungal infections. Moreover, the 15% GA edible coating retained the color, improved the firmness, and increased antioxidant activity compared with control. Likewise, sensory analysis results also showed the effectiveness of 15% GA-coating by retaining the quality of strawberry fruits. The results show that 15% of GA-coating can be an effective strategy for enhancing the quality of strawberry fruits during cold storage without any negative effect. Practical applications The edible coating has demonstrated to be a promising food preservation method and is progressively used for the commercial processing of many fruits and vegetables. However, gum arabic has not been used for preserving the quality of highly perishable fruit such as strawberries. The result suggests that gum arabic coatings can be a valuable biochemical means of preserving strawberries during refrigerated storage and could be used as an alternative to the synthetic formulas of fruit and vegetable packaging. Thus, gum arabic coating could provide horticultural and food processors a useful way to improve the quality, prolong shelf life, and marketing strategy.