Effect of edible coatings on the shelf-life of fresh strawberries: A comparative study using TOPSIS-Shannon entropy method

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), low methoxyl pectin (LMP), Persian gum (PG), and tragacanth gum (TG) edible coatings on the physicochemical properties of strawberries during storage period at 4 °C. The results showed a significantly less weight loss and decay for coated strawberries compared to the control. So that, the TG and CMC coated strawberries exhibited the lowest weight loss (3.65%) and decay (32.66%) at day 16 of storage, respectively. Edible coatings reduced the rate of deterioration in ascorbic acid, total phenolics, and anthocyanins in fruit over time. There was no significant difference observed between the coated and untreated strawberries in firmness and color characterization during storage time. Coatings improved the sensorial attributes of the fruit during storage so that, the CMC coated strawberries exhibited the highest score. TOPSIS-Shannon entropy method used to compare different coatings to improve the shelf-life of strawberries. The comparison between different coatings via TOPSIS analysis showed that the CMC was the most appropriate coating to reduce the weight loss, decayed and preserved nutritional ingredients of strawberries during the storage period.