Carnauba wax-based edible coating enhances shelf-life and retain quality of eggplant (Solanum melongena) fruits

• Formulation of improved and stable Carnauba wax coating for eggplants.
• Assessment of various suitable additives for Carnauba wax coating.
• Carnauba wax coating resulted in higher expression of antioxidant activity.
• Carnauba wax coating extends self-life of vegetables.

Eggplant has limited shelf-life of only 3 days under ambient storage conditions. The functional quality of carnauba wax (CW) is assessed with various additives for shelf-life related attributes in eggplant during ambient storage (20 ± 1 °C and RH 52–54%) in both unpackaged and packaged in 35μ polypropylene pouches. Minimum decrease (8.56 N-6.92 N and 8.56 N-5.63 N) in firmness was recorded in Poly ethylene glycol (PEG) and 0.5% Sodium alginate (SA) in diluted (1:4) CW emulsion (T2) while maximum decrease (8.56 N-5.54 N and 8.56 N-3.57 N) in control (T4) packaged and unpackaged eggplants after 12 days of storage, respectively. Maximum antioxidant activity (67.63 and 51.52 μmol Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC)/100 g FW) was observed in T2 treatment and minimum antioxidant activity (23.61 and 20.60 μmol TEAC/100 g FW) in control fruits in packaged and unpackaged respectively after 12 days. The minimum decrease (2.64–2.20 and 2.64–2.24) μmol tetraguaiacol (TG)/min/100 g FW) of peroxidase activity was recorded in T2 treated fruits in packaged and unpackaged eggplant respectively and maximum decrease (2.64–1.37 and 2.64–1.63 μmol TG/min/100 g FW) was obtained in control unpackaged and packaged eggplant respectively after 12 days. Packaged eggplant treated with PEG and SA in CW emulsion remained acceptable upto 12 days.