Maintaining antioxidants in tomato fruit using chitosan and vanillin coating during ambient storage

A high intake of antioxidants in a daily diet could reduce the risk of several diseases,
including certain cancers and heart disease. Tomato is one of the rich sources of
antioxidant compounds. However, it has a relatively short postharvest life due to several
factors such as postharvest diseases, accelerated ripening and senescence that hasten the
losses in quantity and quality. Chitosan and vanillin could be an alternative to disease
control, maintain the quality and prolong the shelf life of fruit. This research aimed to
evaluate the potential of chitosan and vanillin coating on tomato antioxidant properties
during storage at 26±2°C and 60±5% relative humidity. Chitosan and vanillin in aqueous
solutions of 0.5% chitosan + 10 mM vanillin, 1% chitosan + 10 mM vanillin, 1.5%
chitosan + 10 mM vanillin, 0.5% chitosan + 15 mM vanillin 1% chitosan + 15 mM
vanillin and 1.5% chitosan + 15 mM vanillin, respectively, were used as edible coating on
tomato fruit. The analysis was evaluated at a 5-day interval. The results revealed that 1.5%
chitosan + 15 mM vanillin have significantly retained tomato's antioxidant properties and
prolonged shelf life up to 25 days without any adverse effects on fruit quality. Thus,
combining 1.5% chitosan and 15 mM vanillin is highly recommended as a tomato coating
to maintain their quality, particularly in the absence of a refrigeration facility during
marketing.