Optimization of carboxymethyl cellulose and ethrel coatings using response surface methodology for management of post-harvest quality in mango (Mangifera indica L.)

Background:
Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is an important tropical fruit and highly appreciated for its taste, flavour, colour and nutritional value. Its high respiration rate and climacteric nature, however, cause postharvest losses and rapid deterioration. Composite edible coatings are emerging as environmentally friendly solutions to maintain fruit quality, but studies on their optimisation for mango remain limited.
Objective:
The study focused on developing and optimising a composite coating containing carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), ethrel and glycerine to preserve the physical and biochemical quality of mango fruits during ambient storage.
Methods:
A three-factor, three-level Box–Behnken design via Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used with CMC (7.5–12.5 g L⁻¹), ethrel (500–1000 ppm) and glycerine (11.5–22.5 mL L⁻¹) as independent variables to study seventeen treatment combinations to measure the physical and biochemical parameters. Suitability of the models was evaluated using regression and ANOVA.
Results:
All response models were highly significant (p < 0.01), with strong determination coefficients (R² > 0.96). Optimised coating with CMC (11 g L⁻¹) + ethrel (500 ppm) + glycerine (12 mL L⁻¹) reduced physical losses and maintained key biochemical parameters at ambient storage conditions with low residual error (<1%). Conclusions: The optimised composite coating preserved the physical and biochemical quality of the mango cv. Langra during storage. Results confirmed that RSM is a useful technique for an optimised coating formulation for preservation of fruit quality.