ABSTRACT
Good quality and freshness of fruits and vegetables are imperative factors in food selection as consumer preferences depend on the appealing nature as well as the nutritional composition of a product. Chitosan is a natural coating derived from crab or prawn shell after the deacetylation of chitin. Chitosan is known to form a semi-permeable film, which modifies the internal atmosphere of the fruit and decreases transpiration losses. In horticultural crops, postharvest losses occur from the time of harvesting the crop until it reaches the consumer. Chitosan has been reported to be a strong antifungal compound that can be used as an antimicrobial coating or as an ingredient in food coatings. Chitosan forms a semi-permeable film around the fruit that regulates gas exchange, reduces transpiration loss and slows down the ripening process. The level of inhibition of fungi is highly correlated with chitosan concentration and it indicates that chitosan performance is related to the application of an appropriate concentration.
