Investigating the effect of moringa leaf extracts incorporation in edible coatings on maintaining 'Marsh' grapefruit (Citrus x paradisi MacFad.) quality and prolonging shelf life.

Increasing health awareness toward the use of edible coating as postharvest fruit treatment has gained a huge demand in international markets. This study investigated the moringa leaf extracts based edible coatings for commercial use to maintain the quality and extending shelf life of 'Marsh' grapefruit. Fruits were treated with five treatments where T1 = Citrashine^® natural wax, T2 = 1% moringa edible coating (MEC) + 1% carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), T3 = 1% MEC + 1% chitosan (CN), T4 = 1% MEC + 1.5% CMC and 1.5% MEC + 1% CN. Treated fruits were stored at 3°C for six weeks. Fruits coated with 1.5% MEC + CMC had higher mass loss (11.96%) compared to citrashine (4.01%) and 1% MEC + 1% CMC (4.83%); fruit colour increased with storage as fruit treated with citrashine had higher colour index (-0.932) compared edible coatings. Fruits coated with citrashine had no chilling injury (CI) and disease compared with fruits coated with edible coatings. In conclusion the moringa based edible coating does not have a positive effect in 'Marsh fruit' and accordingly this finding warrants more studies need to be done in search for other alternative organic products