Improved Shelf Life and Quality of Tomato (<i>Solanum lycopersicum L</i>.) by Using Chitosan-Pullulan Composite Edible Coating Enriched with Pomegranate Peel Extract

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to examine the efficiency of chitosan-pullulan composite edible coating enriched with pomegranate peel extract (CP-PPE) on the quality and shelf life of tomatoes over 18 days of storage at 23 °C and 4 °C. The applied composite edible coating significantly (p ≤ 0.05) improved postharvest quality (weight loss, maintained total soluble solids, titratable acidity, color, pH, and retained higher phenolic content, flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity) and sensory characteristics throughout the storage at both room and cold temperatures. On day 15, higher overall acceptability was observed in treated samples (6.27 ± 0.20) as compared to untreated (4.41 ± 0.39) at 23 °C. On day 18, the higher sensory scores were also recorded for treated samples (7.15 ± 0.1) compared to untreated (6.41 ± 0.14) at 4 °C. The shelf life of tomatoes was enhanced by 9 days at 23 °C and at 4 °C conditions; both types of samples were good up to the final day of storage.