Impact of chemical and herbal pre-treatments on shelf life and quality characteristics of dried mango (Mangifera Indica L.) slices.

The present research was carried out to study and determine the effects of chemical and herbal pre-treatments on dried mango slices stored for 180 days under ambient conditions. Discoloration, antioxidants, loss of nutrients, off-flavour, and microbial growth during storage were reported to be concerning parameters. The parameters included in the study were proximate composition, physicochemical analysis, antioxidant analysis, microbial analysis, and color analysis. Score for vitamin C content, antioxidants, and color analysis, was better in pre-treated samples as compared to untreated dried mango samples, but showed a decreasing trend with an increase in storage interval. The analysis conducted at various intervals of storage depicted that the herbal pre-treatments preserved the vitamin C and antioxidant content, and comparable results were recorded. The microbial population in untreated dried mango slices was recorded as more than pre-treated, but was under the permissible limit. Overall, it was concluded that the use of herbal pre-treatments in comparison to chemicals was also effective for the preservation of nutritionally good quality dried fruit.