Abstract: Three edible composite coatings, named as M1, M2 and M3, were prepared using chitosan alone or together with cassava starch or corn starch as the coating carrier and acetic acid as the hydrophilous auxiliary agent, respectively, and used to soak mango fruits from cultivar Zihua before shelf-life storage at (20 ± 0.5)℃. The effects of the coatings and distilled water (the control) on the percentage of yellow fruits, yellowing index, the percentage of rotten fruits, respiratory intensity, firmness, weight loss rate, soluble solid content (SSC), VC content and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity of coated mango were explored. Coating treatment considerably inhibited the yellowing and rotting of mango, retarded the occurrence of respiration peaks, dramatically decreased the yellowing rate and softness and increased the firmness during the shelf-life. M3 maintained the texture better, effectively delayed the increase of SSC, and retained high VC level, although its inhibitory effect on PPO activity was not significantly different from that of other three treatments. This study indicates that chitosan coating treatment can significantly prevent quality deterioration of mango during the shelf-life, especially when compared with corn starch.

Key words: edible composite coating, mango, physiological characteristics, shelf-life storage