ABSTRACT
Postharvest handling of tropical fruits has involved a number of technologies, including the use of edible coatings that provide a semipermeable barrier for solutes, vapor, and gases and thereby delay ripening and senescence. Natural compounds based on agricultural products or waste materials from the food industry have been utilized as edible coatings. Gum arabic is a polysaccharide that is commonly used as a food additive in the food industry. The functional properties of gum arabic enable it to be used for forming unique films and for encapsulating and emulsifying materials. Coatings have been used to maintain the shelf life of tropical fruits and vegetables; however, they cannot defer infection by pathogens. Such coatings can be enhanced to unique advantage by the incorporation of natural compounds, for example, by the addition of chitosan or essential oils. The potential for using gum arabic-based composite coatings as biofungicides has been demonstrated through various studies, and numerous other natural compounds are still worthy of investigation.
