Hydrogen-assisted facile synthesis of N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan stabilized zinc oxide nanoparticles and its influence on the quality of Solanum lycopersicum L

•Clean hydrogen-gas was used to prepare ZnONPs stabilized by N,N,N-Trimethyl chitosan.•The formation of ZnONPs was confirmed by different characterization techniques.•ZnONPs improved the physicochemical and proximate properties of tomato fruit.•The suitability of ZnONPs for enhancing tomato fruit quality and shelf-life during storage was confirmed. The climacteric nature of tomatoes results in the rapid deterioration of the fruit which in turn reduces the shelf-life. Herein, the role of N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan zinc oxide nanoparticles (NTMC-ZnONPs) and the additive advantage in the quality and/or shelf-life extension of post-harvested tomato fruits was investigated. NTMC-ZnONPs was synthesized through green reduction of zinc salt in the presence of clean hydrogen gas and water-soluble N,N,N-Trimethyl chitosan as a stabilizing agent. The UV–Vis spectroscopic measurement shows that NTMC-ZnONPs exhibit a strong surface plasmon resonance at 360 nm which is true for ZnONPs. The detailed characterization of NTMC-ZnONPs confirmed the formation of ZnONPs with an average particle size of 37.6 nm. Furthermore, varied concentrations of NTMC-ZnONPs were applied by dipping unblemished tomato fruit in the solution of NTMC-ZnONPs for 60 s and thereafter stored in a plastic container. Physicochemical quality parameter data of the NTMC-ZnONPs-treated tomato fruit were collected, namely: color, total suspended solids (TSS), vitamin C, lycopene, pH, β-carotene, shelf life, and firmness. NTMC-ZnONPs were found to significantly improve the fruit firmness, color, β-carotene content, shelf-life, and taste of tomato fruit while the TSS was found to increase as ripening progresses. Therefore, this study ascertains the applicability and/or suitability of green NTMC-ZnONPs in the enhancement of fruit quality when coated with NTMC-ZnONPs during storage. [Display omitted]