Extending the storage life of Mexican lime through guar gum, jojoba oil, and oleic acid-based coatings

Abstract Background The loss of postharvest quality due to chilling injury is critical for fresh fruits. Edible coatings have proven to be a convenient approach for fruit preservation. This research investigated the application of different edible coatings, guar gum (GG), jojoba oil (JO), oleic acid (OA), and their combination to maintain the postharvest quality of Mexican lime ( Citrus aurantifolia ) stored at 8 ± 1°C for 80 days. Results The results revealed that the edible coatings reduced weight loss and decay after 80 days of storage. GG/JO and GG/OA were the most effective treatments for maintaining firmness during storage. Compared with the control, all the treatments, especially GA/OA, delayed the development of chilling injury and lipid peroxidation indices at low temperatures. Additionally, GG/OA had the greatest effects on maintaining chlorophyll, ascorbic acid, total phenol, and flavonoid contents and antioxidant activity. The highest TSS and lowest TA were obtained in the GG/OA treatment. Conclusions These results suggest that edible coatings, especially GA/OA, can be considered excellent treatments for enhancing the storability of Mexican lime at low temperatures.