Effectiveness of a composite edible coating on the post-harvest conservation of guava (Psidium guajava L )

Guava is a climacteric fruit that ripens rapidly and is highly perishable. Locally grown guava is marketed without receiving any treatment for shelf life extension, resulting in the wilting and withering of fruits. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a thin edible coating developed as a water-based filmogenic solution containing different concentrations of beeswax, tamarind seed powder (TSP), sunflower oil, and surfactant to enhance the post-harvest shelf life of guava. The bio polymeric film containing 0.05% TSP, 1% beeswax, and 5.5% sunflower oil presented the best results, and a 6 s dipping time resulted in the best polymeric network formation, which minimised water loss and improved the appearance of guava. The results indicated that a thin natural bio polymeric coating conserves the post-harvest shelf life of giant guava for 13 days at tropical ambient temperature (30 ± 2°C) and 21 days at regulated temperature (25 ± 1°C).