Formulation of date pit oil-based edible wax coating for extending the storage stability of guava fruit

The study was planned to formulate edible wax coating by utilizing date pit oil. Date pit oil was extracted from three date varieties (Aseel, Hallawi, and Dhakki) through solvent extraction method. One variety was selected on the basis of physicochemical analysis of date pit oil. The different treatments (T-1, T-2, T-3, and T-4) of wax coating were formulated by replacing water in standard wax formulation with date pit oil as 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2%, respectively. The storage studies were carried out for 16 days; different fruit parameters like pH, weight loss, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity, fruit firmness, and vitamin C content were studied. Results indicated significant improvement in the shelf life of coated guava fruits as compared to uncoated guava fruits.T-4 showed highest keeping quality as compared to T-3, T-2, and T-1. Practical applications This research work is novel in the field of edible coating by using date pit oil as natural barrier against environmental factors affecting the shelf life of guava fruit. There is immense potential in this new commodity to explore more applications of promising importance. Moreover, this study can be replicated for other fruits and vegetables to curtail postharvest losses and supplementing economic benefits.