*3.2. Physicochemical Characteristics of Coated and Uncoated Mangoes* 3.2.1. Weight Loss

Fruits and vegetables are mainly composed of water, which is known as the indicator of freshness of fruits and vegetables. Fluctuation in storage temperature and relative humidity of the storage environment may trigger respiration and transpiration rate, which may cause weight loss in fruits and vegetables [26]. In the current study, weight loss of mangoes was significantly reduced by all coating solutions as shown in Figure 3a. However, weight loss was observed to increase throughout storage. Mangoes coated with treatment S4 (containing 2% beeswax) exhibited minimum weight loss during storage periods. Increased concentration of beeswax increased the hydrophobicity of coatings, which conversely reduced the moisture removal, and consequently, the weight loss from the fruits. This reduction of weight loss in polysaccharide coatings may be associated to better crosslinking between hydroxyl group of polysaccharide and hydrophilic substance (such as phenols) in coatings through hydrogen bonding [33]. The results are supported by the findings of Nasrin et al. [34], who used beeswax coatings in combination with coconut oil and observed the similar behavior of weight loss in lemons. Eshetu et al. [26] also reported that 2% beeswax in chitosan coatings preserved moisture inside the mangoes.
