The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a modified atmosphere, by the use of plastic covers packaging and chitosan coverage in lychee postharvest storage. The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial 5 x 7, with 3 replications, where the first factor corresponds to the treatments: control; rigid polystyrene trays (22.4cm x 14.8cm) coated with a 0.015mm (PD955) polyolefin film (PF); 500ml transparent rigid polyethylene terephthalate (PET) trays with lid; polystyrene trays covered with 0.014mm polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film; and immersion in 0.5% chitosan. The second factor was the storage time, 0 (initial), 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 days at 5 ° C, 94% RH. Each plot consisted of eight fruits, and those treated with chitosan were placed in rigid polystyrene trays without film. The results showed that the modified atmosphere reduced significantly the mass loss of fruits stored under refrigeration, especially with PVC film. Chitosan 0.5% proved to be more effective in maintaining the red color and preventing browning, keeping the fruits more attractive.
Litchi chinensis; pericarp browning; chitosan; plastic packages
