A review of preservation approaches for extending avocado fruit shelf-life

Abstract

Avocado (Persea americana Mill) is a popular tropical fruit that is rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds. Besides, as a climacteric fruit with strong respiratory, internal metabolic processes and external factors easily damage avocados. During avocado fruit storage, several factors are taken into consideration. These include alterations in skin and mesocarp color, browning degree, hardness level, weight loss, damage rate, and the organoleptic quality of the mesocarp. Therefore, strategies to improve the avocado shelf-life have received much attention. Post-harvest avocado treatments include cold temperature, chemical use, atmospheric adjustments, irradiation, antagonistic microorganisms, essential oil, edible coating, etc. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages for avocado preservation. Edible coatings (ECs) have emerged as a practical, cost-effective, and eco-friendly approach to extend the shelf life of avocado fruit. Combining the composition of ECs with additional ingredients such as natural antimicrobial agents, antagonistic microorganisms, film structure reinforcements, etc., and appropriate storage conditions would be a potential “green” approach to improve the quality of avocado fruits.

Keywords

• Avocado
• Damaged pathogens
• Edible coating
• Essential oil
• Post-harvest loss
• Preservation methods