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Mahnoor Perve

Lahore College for Women University, Lahore Pakistan

Title: Development Bee wax and Arabic gum Edible Fruit Coating with Cinnamon Oil to enhance Post Harvest Shelf Life of Lemon (Citrus limon)

Abstract

The present study was conducted to formulate honeybee wax, Arabic gum, and cinnamon essential oil edible coating to enhance the postharvest storage quality of lemon with modified atmospheric packaging (MAP). Edible coating formulated with three different formulations i.e. F1= 70 (Bee wax): 20 (Oil): 10 (Arabic gum), F2 = 60 (Bee wax): 20 (Oil): 20 (Arabic gum), F3 = 50 (Bee wax): 20 (Oil): 20 (Arabic gum). Lemons were divided into four groups (three experimental and one control). A thin film of the edible coating was applied to the lemon and were kept in crates or MAP packaging at ambient conditions (25+ 2 ºC and 50 + 5% RH). The quality of lemons was analyzed at an interval of 0, 7, 14, and 21, 28 days. All film formulations were characterized in terms of physical properties: film thickness, moisture content, solubility (water, acetic medium), and lemons were analyzed after treatment by parameters: % weight loss, pH, titratable acidity, antioxidant capacity, firmness, shrinkage, yellowing, ascorbic acid, juice content, and % decay incidence. The coating applications resulted in higher DPPH radical scavenging activity, higher retention of ascorbic acid, exhibited a slower rise of reducing sugar, and maintenance of pH, color, juice content, and firmness. Coated lemon exhibited a significant difference in a lower rate of % decay compared to the control. Samples in treatments F1 formulations with higher bee wax concentration were the best formulation for extending the shelf-life of lemon up to 28 days versus 10 days of uncoated samples.

Biography

Mahnoor Perve is an Associate Professor at the Department of Zoology, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore Pakistan.