Impact of Zinc Oxide-Corn Starch Coating on Mango Postharvest to Extend Shelf Life

The rise in environmental awareness has led to the development of biopolymers-based alternatives to synthetic packaging materials. This disease can be controlled by improving its coating properties. This study investigates the efficacy of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) incorporated with corn starch as an edible coating to enhance the post-harvest quality of mangoes. Mango samples were coated with varying concentrations of ZnO solutions and stored at ambient temperature for seven days. The findings demonstrate that a 1.5 M ZnO-corn starch concentration is optimal, significantly delaying fruit senescence, minimizing fungal growth, and maintaining sensory quality, resulting in the lowest weight loss percentage of 13.53%. The ZnO NPs- corn starch coating achieved a 97.9% efficiency in preventing decay during storage. Analytical techniques such as XRD, FTIR, and EDX confirmed the presence of ZnO on the mango skin, correlating with increased pH levels and change in total soluble solids (TSS), which indicate reduced respiration rates and preserved titratable acids. FESEM analysis revealed a uniform coating thickness of 21.59 nm, while HPLC analysis showed extended citric acid retention (3.2 min), correlating with prolonged mango quality. This study successfully demonstrates the potential of a non-toxic ZnO NPs-starch nanocomposite coating to improve mango preservation, offering a promising solution for extending the shelf life of mangoes post-harvest.

Graphical Abstract