Aplikasi Coating Minyak Sereh dan Kitosan untuk Memperpanjang Umur Simpan Buah Tomat Ceri (Lycopersicum esculentum var. cerasiforme)

Abstract

Tomat ceri mudah mengalami kerusakan karena penanganan yang salah saat proses pasca panen. Hal ini dapat menimbulkan kerusakan fisik seperti memar yang dapat memicu kerusakan lainnya seperti kimia dan mikrobiologi. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengidentifikasi pengaruh penambahan minyak sereh pada coating berbasis kitosan serta mendapatkan rekomendasi konsentrasi minyak sereh paling optimum dalam mempertahankan kualitas buah tomat ceri selama penyimpanan pada suhu ruang. Bahan yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah tomat ceri fase breaker yang diperoleh dari Desa Sukagalih, Kecamatan Megamendung, Bogor, Jawa Barat. Tomat yang digunakan sudah disortasi ukuran dan warna buah yaitu dalam fase yang sama breaker. Bahan baku lainnya yang digunakan untuk membuat larutan coating adalah minyak sereh (foodgrade), bubuk kitosan, tween 80, bubuk CaCO3, larutan asam asetat, dan aquades. Tomat ceri dicelupkan pada larutan coating kitosan 1% dan minyak sereh dengan konsentrasi 0%, 0,2%, 0,4%, dan 0,6% dan sebagai kontrol adalah tomat ceri tanpa pelapisan. Kemudian tomat ceri disimpan pada suhu ruang (22-24°C) kelembaban relatif 50-60%. Penyimpanan dilakukan selama 24 hari di mana setiap 4 hari dilakukan pengukuran. Selanjutnya dilakukan pengamatan dan pengukuran parameter mutu yaitu laju respirasi, susut bobot, konsentrasi etilen, intensitas warna, kadar air, vitamin C, kekerasan, derajat keasaman (pH), total padatan terlarut, dan total asam. Data diolah menggunakan analisis sidik ragam ANOVA dan uji lanjut Duncan. Hasil menunjukkan bahwa pelapisan coating minyak sereh dan kitosan berpengaruh nyata dan signifikan terhadap laju respirasi, intensitas warna, kekerasan, susut bobot, total padatan terlarut, total asam, vitamin C, derajat keasaman (pH), dan konsentrasi etilen. Tomat ceri yang dilapisi kitosan 1% dan minyak sereh dengan konsentrasi 0,2% merupakan perlakuan terbaik karena mampu mempertahankan kualitas dan memperpanjang umur simpan sampai hari ke-24 setelah perlakuan.

Cherry tomatoes are susceptible to damage due to incorrect handling during the post-harvest process. This can cause physical damage such as bruising which can trigger other damage such as chemical and microbiological. This study aims to identify the effect of lemongrass oil addition to chitosan-based coatings and get recommendations for the most optimum concentration of lemongrass oil in maintaining the quality of cherry tomatoes during storage at room temperature. The materials used in this study were breaker phase cherry tomatoes obtained from Sukagalih Village, Megamendung District, Bogor, West Java. The tomatoes used had been sorted for fruit size and color, which were in the same phase as the breaker. Other raw materials used to make the coating solution were lemongrass oil (foodgrade), chitosan powder, tween 80, CaCO3 powder, acetic acid solution, and distilled water. Cherry tomatoes were dipped in chitosan with 1% concentration and lemongrass oil coating solution with concentrations of 0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, and 0.6% and the control was cherry tomatoes without coating. Then the cherry tomatoes were stored at room temperature (22-24°C) at 50 60% relative humidity. Storage was carried out for 24 days where every 4 days measurements were taken. Furthermore, quality parameters were observed and measured, namely respiration rate, weight loss, ethylene concentration, color intensity, moisture content, vitamin C, hardness, acidity (pH), total soluble solids, and total acid. Data were processed using ANOVA analysis of variance and Duncan's further test. The results showed that lemongrass oil and chitosan coating had a real and significant effect on respiration rate, color intensity, hardness, weight loss, total soluble solids, total acid, vitamin C, acidity (pH), and ethylene concentration. Cherry tomatoes coated with 1% chitosan and lemongrass oil at a concentration of 0.2% was the best treatment because it was able to maintain quality and extend shelf life until the 24th day after treatment.