Effect of chitosan coating on quality of fresh-cut Hami melons

Fresh- cut Hami melon ‘Cucumis melo cv. Xizhoumi'was coated with 2% of chitosan,the effects of coating treatment were studied on quality,microbial indexes and sensory characteristics of fresh- cut fruit during cool storage.The results showed that chitosan coating effectively decreased the weight loss,and maintained the firmness of fruit during storage.Meanwhile,the chitosan treatment significantly maintained the color,and the content of total soluble solids( TTS) and titratable acid( TA) of the melon pieces. In addition,the coating significantly inhibited the growth of aerobic plate count,yeasts,molds and coliforms on the surface of fruit pieces.The results of sensory evaluation showed that the good edible quality of the treated melon pieces kept to the 9th day,which extended 3 days than the control.