The Effects of a Gum Arabic-Based Edible Coating on Guava Fruit Characteristics during Storage

Guava is a nutritious fruit that has perishable behavior during storage. We aimed to determine the influences of some edible coatings (namely, cactus pear stem (10%), moringa (10%), and henna leaf (3%) extracts incorporated with gum Arabic (10%)), on the guava fruits’ properties when stored under ambient and refrigeration temperatures for 7, 14, and 21 days. The results revealed that the coating with gum Arabic (10%) only, or combined with the natural plant extracts, exhibited a significant reduction in weight loss, decay, and rot ratio. Meanwhile, there were notable increases in marketability. Moreover, among all tested treatments, the application of gum Arabic (10%) + moringa extract (10%) was the superior treatment for most studied parameters, and exhibited for the highest values for maintaining firmness, total soluble solids, total sugars, and total antioxidant activity. Overall, it was suggested that coating guava with 10% gum Arabic combined with other plant extracts could maintain the postharvest storage quality of the cold-storage guava

The Exogenous Application of Micro-Nutrient Elements and Amino Acids Improved the Yield, Nutritional Status and Quality of Mango in Arid Regions

The mango is one of the most valuable and appealing tropical fruits due to its color, aroma, tasteful remarkable flavor, and nutritive value; however, improving the yield and quality of mango is an urgent goal in order to combat global population growth. The application of amino acids and a micronutrient mixture might improve the yield and quality features but further research is still required in arid regions. To study the combined effect of a micronutrient mixture (MM) and amino acids (AA) at different rates, twenty-seven Fagri Kalan mango trees (15 years old) were carefully selected. The foliar application effect of MM and AA on vegetative growth, total chlorophyll, leaf chemical constituents, productivity, and the fruit quality of mango trees (cv. Fagri Kalan) was investigated. The findings revealed that the investigated growth measurements and leaf chemical contents, as well as the fruiting aspects and the fruit quality improved significantly due to the application of MM and AA. A higher application rate of the micronutrient mixture (2 g L−1) in combination with the highest amino acid concentration (2 mg L−1) was the most effective combination that increased the yield, total soluble solids (TSS), total sugars (TS), and total carbohydrates by 28.0%, 3.0%, 5.8% and 15.0%, respectively, relative to untreated plants. The relationship between such characteristics revealed a strong positive correlation (0.80–0.95), confirming the importance of these materials in increasing the yield and quality of mangoes. Thus, using doses of MM and AA as a foliar spray four times during each growing season is recommended under similar environmental conditions and horticulture practices used in the current experiment

Utilization of Active Edible Films (Chitosan, Chitosan Nanoparticle, and CaCl2) for Enhancing the Quality Properties and the Shelf Life of Date Palm Fruits (Barhi Cultivar) during Cold Storage

Interest in edible coatings applications has progressively developed towards improving the quality and shelf life of climacteric fruits. This study aimed to investigate the influence of pre-harvest treatments (chitosan, chitosan nanoparticle, and CaCl2) on the physicochemical and quality attributes of Barhi date palm fruits during storage periods. Different pre-harvest treatments (control, chitosan 1, 2, and 3 g/L, CaCl2 1, 2, and 3 g/L, nano-chitosan 1, 2, and 3 cm3 /L) were applied. The results showed that all treatments were effective for enhancing the fruit quality, with increasing total soluble solids and total sugars, decreasing weight loss, discarded total acidity, and total soluble tannins compared to the control treatment. Additionally, the results revealed that the highest percentage of TSS was obtained in control fruits (35.78%). Meanwhile, the lowest mean values were obtained from chitosan nanoparticle at 3 cm3/L (33.91%). Treatments with chitosan nanoparticle at 3 cm3/L and CaCl2 at 3 g/L gave the statistically highest values of total tannins (0.225 and 0.220, respectively). The optimal treatment involved spraying the fruit with 3 cm3/L of nano-chitosan or 3 g/L of CaCl2 to increase the fruit quality and the shelf life of Barhi dates. The results indicated that weight loss was negatively linked with the moisture content and firmness, while decay had a strong positive relationship with the Rutab index and a negative correlation with the moisture content. Furthermore, the Rutab index was negatively associated with the total tannins and total chlorophyll