Abstract:
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), a climacteric vegetable, is highly susceptible to postharvest
losses. This study investigated the effectiveness of edible coating formulations derived from
Kehipitthan (Cyclea peltata) mucilage and cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) leaf oleoresin to
extend the shelf life of "Padma" variety tomatoes at the mature green stage under ambient
conditions (28±2°C, 95% RH). Coating treatments included different mucilage concentrations:
90% (T1), 80% (T2), 70% (T3), 60% (T4), and 50% (T5) combined with fixed oleoresin
concentration (0.05%). Treated tomato were compared against control samples treated with
distilled water. Parameters such as weight loss, firmness, pH, total soluble solids (TSS), lycopene
content, visual appearance and color changes were monitored at three-day intervals for 18
storage days. Each treatment was replicated twice. One-Way ANOVA was used to assess the
statistical significance of treatment effects (p ≤ 0.05). Color changes were measured in terms of
L*, a*, and b* values. Tomatoes coated with lower mucilage concentrations exhibited greater
weight loss, reduced firmness and visible deterioration. The T1 formulation preserved quality
upto day 15, with minimal weight loss (9.60 ± 0.00%), highest firmness (0.40 ± 0.36 kPa), pH
(4.70), TSS (5.20 °Brix), lycopene (6.16 mg/100 g), and favorable color values of L*
(21.64 ± 2.45), a* (5.04 ± 0.28), and b* (6.39 ± 0.45). In contrast the control tomatoes maintain
acceptable quality only until day 9. These findings support the potential of Kehipitthan mucilage
based edible coatings as an eco-friendly approach to postharvest management of tomatoes.
