Assessing Effects of Edible Coatings of Wild Sage Seeds and Xanthan Gum on Postharvest Quality of Lime (Citrus aurantifolia cv. Mexican Lime)

Background and Objectives: Lime is one of the most important citrus species.Consumer demands for high-quality, long-shelf-life and healthy products have increased interests in using biodegradable edible coatings. Materials and Methods:In this study, effects of sage seed gum and xanthan gum coatings were investigated alone and in combination.Fruits were assessed for various physicochemical characteristics such as weight loss, soluble solid content and antioxidant compounds after 30 d of storage at 24 C 2.The experiment was carried out as a factorial design in a completely randomized design with three replications. Results:The edible coatings included a significant effect on preserving quality of lime fruits.Weight loss in treated fruits significantly decreased, compared to the control (4.8%).Particularly, the combined coating of 0.2% sage seed gum with 0.2% xanthan gum showed the lowest weight loss (2.7%).Additionally, the combined treatment included the lowest total soluble solids content (4.6%) and the highest acidity (TA) (6.44%) during storage.The contents of phenols, flavonoids, and antioxidants were higher in all treatments, compared to the control.The results of the mean comparison showed that the highest activity of peroxidase and catalase enzymes was in the combined treatment.Furthermore, sage seed gum significantly (p < 0.05) controlled the activity of polyphenol oxidase.Overall, the combined coatings showed the highest marketability. Conclusion:Overall, this study shows that sage seed gum and xanthan gum, by regulating physiological and biochemical processes, play an important role in preserving the postharvest quality of lime fruits.