Post-harvest Quality of Eggplant (Solanum melongena) Using Different Sources of Starch As Carbohydrate-Based Coating Materials

Year 2025, Volume: 9 Issue: 2, 150 - 158, 31.12.2025

Romel P. Carambacan Aica I. Vergoles Emily B. Gonzaga

Abstract

The study evaluated the post-harvest quality of eggplant (Calixto F1 variety) using corn and taro starch as carbohydrate-based coatings. The experiment was conducted at the State University of Northern Negros in September 2023. The experiment followed a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) in a factorial arrangement. Factor A: sources of starch (corn and taro), Factor B: different concentrations: t1 (0%-control), t2 (2% or 20 g/L), and t3 (4% or 40 g/L) dissolved in distilled water. Gathered parameters including sensory firmness, cumulative weight loss, decay incidence, visual quality rating and shelf life were examined. Data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and comparisons of treatment means were done using Least Common Difference (LSD) at a 5% significance level using Statistix 8.1 software. Results indicated that 4%, regardless of the starch source significantly enhanced the longer post-harvest quality of eggplant up to the 6th day of storage. Higher concentration of starch coatings reduced the weight loss and decay incidence due to their superior barrier properties, resulting in extending shelf life.

Keywords

Corn starch , Eggplant , Edible coating , Post-harvest quality , Taro starch and Shelf-life

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