Exploring the use of quince seed mucilage as novel coating material for enhancing quality and shelf-life of fresh apples during refrigerated storage

Valorisation of quince seeds was performed for the extraction of mucilage. Five composite coatings of quince seed mucilage (QSM) and sodium alginate viz. 100 : 0 (QAH₁), 80 : 20 (QAH₂), 60 : 40 (QAH₃), 40 : 60 (QAH₄), and 20 : 80 (QAH₅) were developed and incorporated with vanillin (1%). The effect of quince seed mucilage-sodium alginate composite hydrogel coatings incorporated with vanillin on the postharvest quality of apples stored under refrigerated conditions for a period of 180 days was studied. Coatings helped to reduce weight loss, and weight loss of 5.98% and 3.48% was reported in control and QAH₁ coated samples, respectively, after 180 days of storage. Better firmness, color, anthocyanin content, vitamin C and antioxidant activity were retained in coated samples than in control samples. Significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher microbial counts (6.04 log₁₀ cfu g⁻¹) were reported in control samples as compared to samples coated with QAH₁ (4.72 log₁₀ cfu g⁻¹) due to the antimicrobial properties of vanillin and QSM. These findings confirm potential benefits of QSM-based edible coatings for shelf-life extension and quality maintenance of this commercially important fruit crop.