2023/11/03 by Okiei, Wesley Ohifeme, Akitoye, Adetoun Alaba, Ibrahim, Abdulgafar
#Cassava shelf-life elongation #ascorbic acid #chitosan-antioxidant coating #hydrogen peroxide #quercetin.
paper · doi:10.48317/imist.prsm/morjchem-v12i1.42131
Cassava is a major staple crop for millions of people in Africa and most developing countries. It is also a good raw material for bioethanol production. However, it suffers a major limitation to serve its full potential due to its high susceptibility to postharvest physiological deterioration (PPD). The aim of this study is to explore the use of formulated chitosan-antioxidant coatings for exogenous application on cassava cultivars for shelf-life elongation. The formulated films were derived from chitosan and two antioxidants namely ascorbic acid and quercetin. The films were found to have pronounced effects on PPD responses in the different cassava cultivars used in this study. Chitosan-quercetin film recorded up to 81% decline in the production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), a predominant reactive oxygen species that contributes to cassava PPD. Chitosan-ascorbic acid and chitosan films recorded 67% and 52% decline respectively, in the level of H2O2 produced in the cassava cultivars. The chitosan-antioxidant film formulations applied in this study proved effective in attenuating the PPD in the cassava samples, with evidence on the drastic reduction of H2O2 produced in the coated samples compared with the uncoated cultivars. The cyanide content and moisture content of the cassava cultivars on harvest may have contributed to the rate of PPD as presented in this study.