The Effects of Acacia Gums Incorporated with Gallic Acid and Clove Oil on Tomatoes Quality Stored in Different Storage Conditions
Isaka Gerald Barongereje *
Department of Food Science and Agro-processing, School of Engineering and Technology, The Sokoine University of Agriculture, P.O. Box 3000, Chuo Kikuu Morogoro, Tanzania.
Valerian Cosmas Silayo
Department of Food Science and Agro-processing, School of Engineering and Technology, The Sokoine University of Agriculture, P.O. Box 3000, Chuo Kikuu Morogoro, Tanzania.
Rashid Ally Suleiman
Department of Food Science and Agro-processing, School of Engineering and Technology, The Sokoine University of Agriculture, P.O. Box 3000, Chuo Kikuu Morogoro, Tanzania.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The tomato (Solanum Lycopersicon) is one of the most commonly cultivated vegetables worldwide for its fleshy fruits. It falls among perishable goods that require proper postharvest handling to minimize losses. This research examined the influence of postharvest treatments and storage on the quality of tomatoes after harvest. An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of organic coatings on tomatoes stored in a refrigerator (8°C), cold room (16°C), and under ambient conditions. Treatment emulsions were prepared from gallic acid, clove oil, and a solution of acacia gum, with the 10% (w/v) acacia gum solution initially made by dissolving in water at 40°C. The treatments were mixed in the following proportions: T1 (0:0:100), T2 (0.5:0.5:99), T3 (1.0:1.0:98), and T4 (1.5:1.5:97). Each treatment was applied to 120 tomatoes and allowed to dry at ambient temperature, followed by storage. It was observed that the lycopene contents during cold room (16°C) storage were T1 (3.363±0.021) mg/100g, T4 (3.038±0.009) mg/100g, T2 (2.842±0.035) mg/100g, and T3 (2.612±0.001) mg/100g, respectively. The β-carotene content in the tomatoes was as follows: T2 (0.821±0.007) mg/100g, T1 (0.954±0.007) mg/100g, T3 (0.908±0.001) mg/100g, and T4 (0.922±0.007) mg/100g, respectively. However, decay began on the 28th day of storage in the cold room, with treatments T2, T3, and T4 showing lower decay rates compared to treatment T1, which had decay rates of T1 (5.06±0.085%), T2 (1.68±0.007%), T3 (1.68±0.007%), and T4 (1.68±0.007%). This indicated that organic coating and temperature control reduced the respiration rate, signifying effective treatment that preserved tomato quality and extended shelf life.
Keywords: β-carotene, decay percentage, deformation, lycopene, postharvest treatment, texture, tomatoes