Preservation of "Pedro Sato" guavas stored under modified atmosphere and refrigeration

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to determine the effects of different coatings and storage temperatures in the post-harvest preservation of "Pedro Sato" guavas. The fruits were immerse in chitosan solution (1% and 3%) (w/v), gelatin (3%) (w/v),  PVC film 17µm and those that did not receive any coating functioned as control and stored at 5°C and 10°C, both with UR 80 ± 5%, and the evaluations were performed at days 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 after storage. For each storage temperature, the experimental outline applyed was entirely randomized in factorial squeme with four repetitions. The edible coatings (gelatin and chitosan) were not eficient in slowing down the maturation and in extending the preservation and quality of the guava at 5°C and 10°C. The use of PVC film reduced mass loss and contributed to the maintenance of "Pedro Sato" guava’s vitamin C and total sugar levels for 28 days stored in both evaluated temperatures.