Refrigeration and edible coatings in blackberry (Rubus spp.) conservation

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the conservation of blackberry, cv. Tupy, stored under refrigeration and coated with different edible coatings. Four treatments were carried out: control T1 (uncoated), T2 (chitosan 1.5 %), T3 (cassava starch 2.5 %) and T4 (kefir grains in water 20 %), stored at temperatures of 0 and 10 A degrees C; 1.0 % (m/v) sorbitol/glycerol was added as plasticizers. Chemical and physical-chemical evaluations (weight loss, firmness, pH, titratable acidity, soluble solids, SS/TA ratio and anthocyanins) were made, besides rot incidence. The results showed that cooling to 0 A degrees C combined with T2 showed an effect in reducing the physiological loss of weight (4.41 %), in retaining fruit firmness (19.1 N) and presenting lower incidence of rot (6.19 %). Likewise, in physical and chemical parameters: SS did not alter significantly during the whole period of 18 days of storage.