The Effectiveness of some Plant products as Edible Coatings in Inhibiting Fungal infection and Increasing the Shelf life of Apple malus domestica L.

Abstract

The study was conducted in the Department of Biology /College of Education/University of Samarra for the period from 1-9-2023 to 1-12-2023, to study the effect of coating of local apples for three weeks with some natural products to inhibit fungal infection and increase the shelf life of storage under the conditions of 25% and humidity of the room for a period of 21 days. The experimental factors included two factors. The first factor was the types of paint materials, which included three types of natural materials: black seed oil, beeswax, and pectin. The second factor was the concentration factor at three levels (1%), (2%), (3%), respectively, for each coating material. The experiment was designed according to a completely randomized design and repeated three times for each treatment. Seven qualitative characteristics of the local fruit groups were studied, namely T.S.T., sugar level, total flavonoid content, and total phenols content. In comparison with the group of uncoated fruits at the beginning and end of the experiment, the results for weight loss showed that coating with black seed oil at all concentrations used recorded the least weight loss from the first week to the third week, with percentages reaching (4.85%), (7.98%), and (8.12%). ), (4.87%), W1, W2, and W3, respectively compared to the control treatment after storage, which recorded the highest weight loss, with percentages reaching (6.94%), (11.19%), (16.24%), and the pectin treatment also recorded the highest percentages. Weight loss reached (11.45%), (10.24%), and (9.31%) in the third week, respectively. The results also showed that the rate of fungal infection recorded a difference in the severity of the infection according to the type of substance and its concentration. Concentrations of 2% and 3% were recorded for black seed oil, the lowest rate. For fungal infection at the third week, values reached (10%) and (11%). While treatment with beeswax recorded average weight loss rates of (10.21%), (9.02%) and (8.14%) in the third week, respectively.