Ash Gourd Peel Wax: Extraction, Characterization, and Application as an Edible Coat for Fruits

Ash gourd (Benincasa hispida Cogn) is a vegetable used in Asian countries and the peel contains high edible waxy materials. This paper reports extraction, characterization, and utilization of ash gourd peel wax as an edible coating in fruits; with strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) as a model system. Crude wax had melting point of $80^{\circ}C$ and molecular weight by number (Mn) and molecular weight by weight (Mw) at 2,277 and 2,323 respectively. Dip method was used to coat crude wax as an emulsion on strawberry. Quantity of wax, concentration of sodium benzoate, and dip time were optimized and the values were 0.5%, 1M, and 3 min, respectively. Results were comparable with carnauba wax coating. Fruits without wax coating spoiled completely in less than 2 days at $25^{\circ}C$. Wax coating enhanced the shelf life to 7 days at $25^{\circ}C$ and the properties such as texture, color, weight loss, titrable acidity, and microbial counts were well acceptable.