Archives of Current Research International

This study evaluated the influence of a 4% carnauba wax coating, selected packaging materials and their combinations on the postharvest quality of aonla (Phyllanthus emblica L.) during storage. The experiment followed a completely randomised design comprising ten treatments and three replications. Treatments included an untreated control, wax coating alone, gunny bags, cardboard boxes, polyethylene bags and perforated plastic crates, together with combinations of wax coating and the packaging materials. Physiological loss in weight, fruit spoilage, total soluble solids and titratable acidity were assessed at 0, 30 and 60 days of storage. Across treatments, physiological loss in weight and spoilage increased as storage progressed, while total soluble solids increased and titratable acidity declined. The combination of 4% carnauba wax and polyethylene bags (T8) recorded the lowest physiological loss in weight (3.00% at 30 days and 9.02% at 60 days) and spoilage (3.01% and 8.01%, respectively). At 60 days, the untreated control recorded physiological loss in weight of 18.51% and spoilage of 28.78%. Treatment T8 also recorded total soluble solids of 10.9 and 11.5 °Brix and titratable acidity of 0.20% and 0.18% at 30 and 60 days, respectively. Under the conditions of this experiment, combining wax coating with polyethylene packaging was associated with lower storage losses and comparatively favourable retention of the measured physicochemical attributes of aonla fruits.