Effect of Lemon and Ginger Extract in Cornstarch Edible Coating on Postharvest Quality and Shelf Life of White Sapote (Casimiroa edulis L.) Fruits

White sapote fruit is susceptible to physical and mechanical injury due to its natural characteristics. The fruit is very perishable and needs careful handling. Postharvest losses of fresh produce are very high (> 40%) in developing countries due to mishandling. Postharvest loss reduction is the major solution to improve food security in developing countries. Edible coating with active plant extract is a promising technique to reduce postharvest losses. Cornstarch mixed with lemon and ginger extracts to play the antimicrobial role was employed as coating material. Then, 4% of cornstarch and 3.2% of lemon and ginger extracts were used for preparations of coating solutions. The coating solutions were applied by dipping for 2 min and left for drying at room temperature. Cornstarch coating incorporated with plant extract showed good results in reducing weight loss, prolonging shelf life, and maintaining the quality of the fruits. The weight losses of fruits coated with lemon and ginger extracts were around 17.41 and 16.68 on Day 18, respectively, whereas a similar loss was recorded for samples stored without coating by the 15^th day. The ginger extract in coating diminishes the loss of ascorbic acid; the maximum value was 33.80 mg/100 g while the minimum value was recorded in the uncoated (control) sample 32.32/100 g by day three. The use of edible coating with plant extract is an effective, inexpensive, and environmentally safe method to manage the quality of white sapote fruits.