Effect of Edible Coating on Shelf-life Enhancement of Papaya (Carica papaya L.) at Ambient Conditions

An experiment was conducted on the effect of edible coating on shelf-life enhancement of papaya (Carica papaya L.) at ambient conditions. The main aim of this study was to increase the shelf life of papaya by using edible coating. Postharvest losses in fruits is a serious problem due to rapid deterioration during storage. Use of edible coatings over fruits is used to improve their quality and enhance the shelf life. The main purpose of this study was to assess the effect of aloe vera gel, beeswax, paraffin wax and gelatine coating in extending the shelf-life of papaya including physico-chemical changes under ambient storage conditions. The experiment was laid out in completely randomized design (CRD) with 7 treatments and 3 replications. The treatment consisted of coating material with Aloe vera gel 0.5% (T1), Aloe vera gel 1%(T2), Aloe vera gel 1.5%(T3), Beeswax 6% (T4), Paraffin wax 100% (T5), Gelatin10%(T6), Control(T7) and freshly harvested papaya fruits. Statistical analysis revealed that among all the treatments, the maximum effect on extending the shelf-life and delaying the ripening was recorded in paraffin wax coated papaya fruits. Therefore, coating of papaya fruits with paraffin wax can be suggested as a post-harvest treatment to enhance the shelf-life.