Effect of chitosan and thymol essential oil on quality maintenance and shelf life extension of peach fruits cv. ‘Zaferani’

Peach is a climacteric fruit which have rapid ripening. An alternative to maintain quality and extend the shelf life of this fruit could be the use of edible coatings. In the present study, the effect of three different coatings; 0.5% chitosan, 200 mg L-1 thymol essential oil and their combined use on postharvest quality of peach fruits cv. ‘Zaferani’ were investigated. Dipping fruits in distilled water was used as a control. Changes in weight loss, fruit firmness, total soluble solids (TSS), sensory attributes, decay incidence, anthocyanin and carotenoid content of fruits were evaluated after 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 days of storage at 6 °C. The results showed that the combination treatment of chitosan and thymol presented more effective preservative effect than chitosan or thymol coatings alone. The coated fruits with 0.5% chitosan + 200 mg L-1 thymol showed significantly lower weight loss, fungal decay and TSS than control treatment. Furthermore, the coated fruits with 0.5% chitosan + 200 mg L-1 thymol exhibited significantly higher firmness, anthocyanin and carotenoid content and sensory characteristics than untreated control. In addition, the highest shelf life (28.33 days) was recorded in combination treatment of chitosan and thymol. No limitations were founded. The coating composed of chitosan and thymol essential oil can provide an efficient alternative for quality maintenance and shelf life extension of peach fruits.