Qualidade de tomate cereja orgânico mantido sob recobrimento de amido de semente de manga adicionado à solventes eutéticos profundos naturais

Abstract

Cherry tomatoes have become an option for organic cultivation in family farming, however they have a short postharvest shelf life, requiring postharvest suitable techniques that aim to maintain quality and increase their postharvest shelf life. Thus, technologies are applied to delay maturation and senescence, such as the use of modified atmosphere. In this sense, biodegradable coatings are one of the technologies used in order to delay fruit senescence. Furthermore, the use of starch-based biodegradable coatings associated with natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) is a clean technology that, in addition to protecting the fruit, leaves it bright, improving the visual appearance. The objective of this work was to evaluate the quality and postharvest shelf life of organic cherry tomatoes submitted to a biodegradable coating based on mango seed starch associated with NADES. The experimental design was completely randomized in a 3X5 factorial scheme, in four replications, stored at room conditions (24 ± 2 °C and 72 ± 2% RH). Clusters of cherry tomatoes (petiole plus fruit) were immersed for 1 minute in the following coatings: mango seed starch 2.5% + NADES 0.75% + Tween 20® 0.001%, mango seed starch 2.5% + glycerol 0.75% + Tween 20® 0.001% followed by drying at room conditions and the control (clusters without coating). Fruits were evaluated for weight loss, fruit color, firmness, soluble solids, titratable acidity, soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio, and ascorbic acid. Cherry tomatoes coated with mango almond starch 2.5% + NADES 0.75% + Tween 20® 0.001% reached maturation faster compared to those coated with mango almond starch 2.5% + glycerol 0. 75% + Tween 20® 0.001%. However, cherry tomato clusters coated with mango seed starch 2.5% + NADES 0.75% + Tween 20® 0.001% developed more uniform maturation, making it possible for the fruit to reach all the characteristics of a fully ripe tomato at the end of storage.