Shelf-life quality evaluation and smartphone-based phenolic analysis of cassava treated with varied chitosan formulations

Abstract

Phenolic compounds exhibit potent antioxidant properties and defense mechanisms in plants, serving as quality biomarkers. This study investigates the effect of chitosan formulations, incorporated with 1 % and 2 % ascorbic acid and quercetin, for extending cassava shelf life and improving nutritional quality. The PhotoMetrix® smartphone App was employed to analyze the impact of these treatment-formulations on their total phenolic contents (TPC) using RGB (Red-Green-Blue) color scale, validated by statistical analysis. Treated cassava samples exhibited higher levels of TPC (up to 70 %) and antioxidant activity (up to 35.39 %). Treated cassava samples with high TPC demonstrated better antioxidant capacities, visual appearances and starch contents, alongside reduced dry matter and H₂O₂ levels. These outcomes highlight the effectiveness of chitosan-antioxidant formulations in boosting TPC, mitigating oxidative stress, and delaying cassava deterioration. The study also demonstrates PhotoMetrix® as a cost-effective, efficient alternative for phenolic assessment, and a tool for shelf-life study towards food security.

Keywords: Cassava; Chitosan, antioxidant compounds; Nutritional quality; PhotoMetrix® app; Shelf-life; Total phenolics.