Controlling of Post-Harvest Losses of SelectedLeafy Vegetables and Green Chilies by Coating with Plant Mucilages

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to investigate the possible application of the edible grade plant mucilaginous of Neolestsea involucrate (Dawul Kurundu) (DK) over selected high respiratory leafy vegetable and green chilies as a thin coat.In this study five types of high respiratory vegetables names as Centellasiatica (Gotukola), Alternanthera sessilies (Mukunuvenna), Ipomoea aquatic (Kankun), Capsicum annum (Green chilies) and Allium ampeloprasum (leeks) were taken and coated with mucilaginous materials extracted from Dawul Kurudu (Neolestsea involucrate). The selected vegetables were coated with Dawul Kurudu and their keeping quality, weight loss, cumulative inedible percentage, colour measurement (L*a*b*), the total chlorophyll concentrations were determined and results were compared with the control sample. Green chilies could be kept for 22 days in open environment with very good organoleptic properties with the DK mucilage and the ripening process also had been delayed Gotulola and leeks with DK mucilage were able to keep 10 and 9 days respectively. The weight losses of the Green chilies, Leeks, and Gotukola were reduce by considerable amount with the DK mucilage and they were remained with better organoleptic quality for 22 days, 9 days and 10 days respectively. The chlorophyll degradation rate was reduced by the DK treatment and the ripening process of green chilies was also reduced by a significant amount.