Effect of molecular weight of chitosan on the shelf life and other quality parameters of three different cultivars of Actinidia kolomikta (kiwifruit)

•Three different cultivars of Actinidia kolomikta berries were coated with chitosan.•Low molecular weight chitosan was found effective on the shelf life of VIR2 cultivar.•High molecular weight chitosan had more positive effect on Sentiabrskaya and Anykšta.•Chitosan coating inhibited the degradation of vitamin C during the consumption time. The kiwi fruit, Actinidia kolomikta, has valuable properties such as high antioxidant activity, high vitamin C, polyphenols, chlorophylls and organic acids content, but the species are hardly commercialized due to their short shelf life (less than two days). In this study three different cultivars of A. kolomikta (Anykšta, Sentiabrskaya and VIR2) were coated with low, medium and high molecular weight chitosan bio-polymer with the aim to extend the shelf life. The changes in fruit firmness, mass, phenolic compound content, vitamin C content and subjective criteria (withering level, decoloration level and aesthetic appearance) were monitored. It was observed that high molecular weight chitosan had higher positive effect on the shelf life of Sentiabrskaya and Anykšta cultivars than VIR2. Low molecular weight chitosan was found effective on VIR2.