Revestimentos à base de carboidratos para conservação da manga ‘Tommy Atkins’

Abstract

Brazil is a major exporter of fruits, including mango (Magifera indica L.). Mango is a species of great socioeconomic importance and has been cultivated in more than ninety countries. The countries that most import mango are the United States, Japan and European countries. In order to bring quality to these markets, the use of appropriate technologies is paramount. There are several food preservation techniques, which can soften and extend the post-harvest storage period such as drying, dehydration, refrigeration, modified atmosphere, edible films, waxes and coating. The coatings exert the function of a barrier for gases and steam of watet, retarding the degradation and increasing the useful life of fruits and vegetables. To promote such effects, coatings must exhibit mechanical properties such as breaking and abrasion resistance. Various compounds may be used to produce these coatings such as proteins, lipids, polysaccharides or combinations of these compounds. Particularly coatings with chitosan in the formulation supports biocompatibility, antimicrobial properties, desirable aesthetic appearance and no toxicity. Adding carboxymethyl cellulose in biofilm formulation generates a higher resistance to temperatures’ sudden changes and constitutes as an efficient barrier for oxygen permeation. Sodium alginate are effective for reducing respiration and retarding fruit ripening. These characteristics of the coatings being added on the surface of the sleeve will allow economic/commercial advantages to increase fruit shelf life as well as resistance to physical changes caused during transport. This study aims to recommend chitosan-based coatings, sodium alginate and carboxymethyl cellulose, one that promotes quality improvement and post-harvest preservation of 'Tommy Atkins' mango, under refrigerated storage followed by ambient temperature. The use of edible protective coatings for tropical fruits for export, such as mango, has shown promising results on the last decades, demonstrating the potential for shelf life increasing under commercial conditions. The polysaccharides used in coatings such as chitosan, sodium alginate and carboxymethyl cellulose, present adequate specificities for the application because they have good transparency and good resistance to gas exchange.