Qualidade pós-colheita de figos-da-índia armazenados sob refrigeração e revestidos por película de fécula de mandioca

Abstract

In Brazil, the India-fig is gaining more attention, mainly due to its nutritional benefits of health promotion. However, its postharvest conservation is still incipient. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of manioc starch film at different concentrations in the shelf-life and maintaining the quality of India-figs stored in different periods at 10°C and 95% RH. The fruits were harvested at stage III of maturation in city of Janaúba – Minas Gerais State. Then, they were selected, cleaned and immersed in manioc starch suspensions 0; 1; 2 and 3% for 1 minute and stored at 10°C and 95% RH for 25 days, and they were evaluated in each five days. The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial 4x6: four manioc starch concentrations and six periods reviews (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 days), with four replications and three fruits per experimental units. They were evaluated the physical, chemical and nutritional fruit. There was fresh weight loss in all treatments, more drastic that where there was no application of starch. It was found an increase in soluble solids, total sugar and carotenoids to the advance of maturation. The higher the concentration of starch used, the slower was the development of the ripeness, in which the starch concentration at 3% provided the best results for the maintenance of physical, chemical and nutritional of the India-figs during 25 days of storage.