EFFECT OF CHITOSAN PRETREATMENT ON THE QUALITY OF STRAWBERRIES DURING COLD STORAGE

Abstract

Abstract. The paper is focused on improving the technology of storing strawberries. It has been investigated how pretreatment of berries with aqueous solutions of low-molecular-weight chitosan of three concentrations (0.1%, 0.3%, 0.5%) affects the quality parameters of strawberries during refrigeration. The treated berries and the reference (untreated sample) were stored in 500 g perforated plastic containers at 0±2°C for 14 days. It has been found that strawberries treated with chitosan solutions had significantly smaller weight loss than the reference. At the end of storage, this parameter was 9.7% in the reference and 7.0–8.6% in the treated berries. It has been established that the respiration rate of the strawberries decreased sharply on the first day, which was caused by refrigerated storage, and continued to decline until the end of storage. Finally, this parameter attained the value 3.3 mg CO2/kg-1h-1in the reference and 2.2–3.0 mg CO2/kg-1h-1 in the treated berries. The hardness of the strawberries at the end of storage was 0.10–0.14 kg/cm2. The change in the lustre level of the berries has been observed. It has been established that on the 14th day of storage, the surface of the untreated berries was dull. The best characteristics have been observed for treatment at the chitosan concentration 0.5%. The effect of chitosan films on the sensory characteristics of berries has been investigated. It has been found that the pretreatment did not impair the taste of the berries. The results of the tasting evaluation indicate that the taste, aroma, and colour were better in the variants with the treatment concentrations 0.3 and 0.5%. However, as for the appearance and consistency, the experts preferred the berries treated at the concentration 0.5%. After two weeks’ storage, the strawberries have been found to be damaged by four fungal diseases. The infections found in the samples were Botrytis cinerea (grey mould), Rhizopus stolonifer (black mould), Whetzelinia sclerotiorum (white mould), and Penicillium spp. It has been established that pretreatment of strawberries with chitosan solutions reduces the development of phytopathogenic diseases. It has been shown that chitosan-based edible coatings have a positive effect on strawberries, increasing their shelf life and improving their quality. A conclusion has been drawn about the technology of application of chitosan solutions and about their concentrations.