Impact of preharvest and postharvest alginate treatments enriched with vanillin on postharvest decay, biochemical properties, quality and sensory attributes of table grapes

Alginate solution enriched with vanillin as a bioactive compound was investigated for improving preharvest and postharvest quality and safety of table grapes. Alginate treatments with or without vanillin as preharvest spray and postharvest coating were implemented on table grapes of Alphonse Lavalleé and Razaki cultivars. Fungal decay, biochemical properties, quality and sensory attributes were evaluated at day of preharvest treatment, at harvesting and during 35 days of storage at 4 ± 2 °C. Alginate treatments with or without vanillin were effective in preventing weight and firmness losses. Total soluble solids, titratable acidity, and color of grapes coated with alginate coatings with or without vanillin showed minor changes compared to control grapes. Alginate coating incorporating vanillin provided significant reduction (1.73 log CFU/g) in yeast-mold growth. Moreover, the coatings maintained greater total phenolic content and antioxidant activity compared to others during postharvest storage. In terms of sensory attributes, appearance was ranked as the highest for alginate coating without vanillin due to glossiness of alginate.