Work

Extension of shelf life and preservation of postharvest quality of guava (Psidium guajava L.) cv. Gwalior-27 using edible oil coatings

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Guava (Psidium guajava L.) cv. Gwalior-27 is a highly perishable climacteric fruit that undergoes rapid deterioration after harvest, resulting in considerable postharvest losses. The present investigation was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of different edible oil coatings in extending the shelf life and maintaining the quality of guava fruits under ambient storage conditions. The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four treatments comprising sesame oil (T₁), rice bran oil (T₂), sunflower oil (T₃), and an untreated control (T4), each replicated three times. Observations were recorded at 0, 5, 10 and 15 days of storage for fruit weight, physiological loss in weight (PLW), decay percentage, colour appearance, fruit firmness, fruit softening, total soluble solids (TSS), appearance, texture and overall acceptability. The results revealed that sesame oil (T₁) was the most effective treatment in maintaining postharvest quality. After 15 days of storage, sesame oil-coated fruits recorded the highest fruit weight (116.69g), the lowest physiological loss in weight (19.49%), zero decay (0.00%), highest colour score (6.33), maximum fruit firmness (3.44 kg cm⁻²), highest TSS (11.27 °Brix), and the highest texture and overall acceptability scores (6.33). In contrast, untreated fruits exhibited the lowest fruit weight (100.78 g), highest PLW (27.09), maximum decay (20.27%), lowest firmness (2.75 kg cm⁻²), fruit softening (4.20), lowest TSS (10.35 °Brix), and the poorest texture and overall acceptability scores (2.66). In terms of fruit quality preservation, sunflower oil came in second, followed by rice bran oil. The results show that sesame coating is an easy, affordable, and environmentally responsible postharvest treatment for prolonging the shelf life and maintaining the market quality of guava cv. Gwalior-27 in ambient storage circumstances.

Source: International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research

DOI: 10.33545/26174693.2026.v10.i8su.9690