Abstract

Mohammed Achor*, Nasiru Usman, Lawal G. Hassan, M. N. Almustapha, Ernest C. Agwamba and Bello Usman

ABSTRACT

Bioplastics are plastics of plants origin that are fully bio-based and biodegradable. The aim of this study is to extend the shelf life of tomato fruits by coating it with derivatives from glycerol-plasticized thermoplastic cassava (Manihot esculentus) starch. Starch extracted from cassava was used to prepare thermoplastic edible coating film forming solution using 1.25 g starch, 2.5% acetic acid and 50% (weight of dry starch) glycerol as plasticizer. Prior to coating, the mechanical and physicochemical properties determined on the thermoplastic starch are: Tensile strength, Elongation at break, Water uptake, oil uptake and moisture uptake. Tomato fruits were coated with the prepared thermoplastic starch solution and 0.0015% sodium hypochlorite (positive control) and the shelf lives were evaluated for 30 days and compared with uncoated tomato fruits (negative control). The results obtained signifies that the thermoplastic starch derivatives prepared from cassava starch markedly extended the shelf life of tomato fruit as compared to 0.0015 % sodium hypochlorite by 17 days.