Resumen

ZAMBRANO, Judith et al. Effect of an edible coating prepared with cactus mucilage (Opuntia elatior Mill.) on quality of minimally processed pineapple. Bioagro [online]. 2017, vol.29, n.2, pp.129-136. ISSN 1316-3361.

Edible coatings constitute a potential strategy to reduce the harmful effects caused by minimal processing on sliced fresh fruits. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of cactus mucilage as edible coatings on some physic-chemical and sensory parameters of cut pineapple fruit. The edible coating was prepared with mucilage at 10 and 20 % (w/v). The fruits were treated with sodium hypochlorite, cut into 1 cm thick slices, immersed in solutions of mucilage for 1 min, and stored at 6 ± 1 °C for 7 days. A control group immersed in distilled water was used. Five replications per treatment were analyzed after 3, 5 and 7 days storage. The parameters evaluated were loss weight, firmness, pH, total titratable acidity (TTA), total soluble solids (TSS), ascorbic acid and dry matter percentage. Sensory evaluation was performed at 7th day of storage. The data were analyzed using ANOVA and Duncan test, while Friedman nonparametric test was used to analyze the sensory evaluation. The coated samples differed significantly (P≤0.05) in the ATT, SST, and ascorbic acid. Further, the coating showed to be effective in retarding the weight loss and firmness. Sensory analysis revealed that the judges had preference for coated samples at the end of storage for taste, color, texture and appearance attributes. It is concluded that coating with cactus mucilage helped to reduce the detrimental effects caused by minimal processing on fresh cut pineapple.

Palabras clave : Ananas comosus; ascorbic acid; postharvest; sensory analysis.

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