Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 University of Qom
2 Universiy of Qom
Abstract
Recently, various edible coatings have been employed to extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables. This study investigated the effects of immersion and spraying (aerosol application) of calcium salt solutions (calcium chloride and calcium nitrate) at concentrations of 5 and 10 millimolar on the post-harvest quality of edible mushrooms stored at refrigeration temperature (4 degrees Celsius) for 15 days. The experiment was conducted in triplicate. The results indicated that, compared to uncoated control samples, immersion of the mushrooms in a 5 millimolar calcium nitrate solution significantly outperformed the samples coated with a 5 millimolar calcium chloride solution. Visually, the mushrooms coated using the spraying method exhibited a longer shelf life than those treated by immersion. In terms of appearance and browning, both concentrations (5 and 10 millimolar) of calcium nitrate performed similarly in the immersion method, presenting an acceptable appearance. However, for the calcium chloride samples, it appeared that the 5 millimolar concentration was more effective than the 10 millimolar concentration, positively influencing the shelf life of the edible mushrooms. Similarly, in the sprayed samples, calcium nitrate at both concentrations demonstrated a better effect on the shelf life of the mushrooms.
Keywords
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