Pengaruh Konsentrasi Edible Coating Kitosan terhadap Kualitas Tomat Ceri Selama Penyimpanan

Abstract

Penurunan mutu terjadi karena proses fisiologis respirasi dan transpirasi yang masih berlanjut setelah buah tomat dipetik, dimana respirasi menyebabkan penguraian cadangan makanan dan mempercepat pelunakan, sedangkan transpirasi menyebabkan penguapan air dari jaringan buah. Salah satu metode yang dapat digunakan untuk memperpanjang umur simpan buah tomat ceri adalah penggunaan edible coating. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengetahui pengaruh konsentrasi edible coating kitosan terhadap kualitas buah tomat ceri selama penyimpanan. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan di Laboratorium Pascapanen dan Biomassa, IPB University dan di Balai Besar Pengujian Standar Instrumen Pascapanen Pertanian, BRIN, pada bulan Maret 2024 hingga Januari 2025. Rancangan penelitian menggunakan Rancangan Acak Kelompok (RAK) dengan satu faktor, yaitu konsentrasi edible coating kitosan pada taraf 0%, 1%, 2%, dan 3%. Buah tomat ceri dilapisi dengan larutan coating selama 5 menit. Setiap perlakuan terdiri dari 900 g tomat ceri dengan 3 ulangan. Tomat ceri disimpan pada suhu ruang untuk diamati selama 28 hari. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa perlakuan coating kitosan 1% memberikan hasil terbaik dalam mempertahankan kualitas buah tomat ceri pada beberapa parameter penting, yaitu menekan kerusakan fisik, menjaga stabilitas pH, vitamin C, dan rasio PTT/ATT yang lebih rendah. Perlakuan edible coating kitosan 1% meningkatkan umur simpan hingga 21 hari dengan tingkat kerusakan <10%, tekstur kulit lebih keras, warna yang lebih cerah, dan rasio PTT/ATT lebih rendah.

Quality reduction in cherry tomato quality occurs due to ongoing physiological processes, such as respiration and transpiration, after harvesting, where respiration causes the breakdown of food reserves and accelerates softening, while transpiration leads to the loss of water from the fruit tissues. One method to extend the shelf life of cherry tomatoes is by using edible coating. This study aimed to determine the effect of chitosan edible coating concentrations on tomato quality during storage. The research was conducted at the Postharvest and Biomass Laboratory, and, IPB University and Balai Besar Pengujian Standar Instrumen Pascapanen Pertanian, BRIN, in Maret 2024 to January 2025. A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with a single factor was used, consisting of chitosan edible coating concentrations at levels of 0%, 1%, 2%, and 3%. Cherry tomatoes were coated with the solution for 5 minutes. Each treatment consisted of 900 grams of cherry tomatoes with three replications. The cherry tomatoes were stored at room temperature and observed for 28 days. The results showed that the 1% chitosan coating treatment provided the best results in maintaining the quality of tomatoes for several key parameters, such as reducing physical damage and maintaining stable pH, vitamin C content, and a lower TSS/TTA ratio. The application of 1% chitosan edible coating was able to extend the shelf life of cherry tomatoes up to 21 days with damage levels of less than 10%, accompanied by firmer skin texture, brighter color, and a lower TSS/TTA ratio.