Postharvest Quality Preservation of Anacardium Humile St. Hil. under Refrigeration: Effects of Different Packaging Materials

The cajuzinho-do-cerrado (Anacardium humile St. Hil.) is a native fruit of the Brazilian Cerrado biome, traditionally harvested extractively and valued for its high content of bioactive compounds such as phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, and vitamin C. However, its high perishability limits large-scale commercialization, requiring the development of efficient postharvest conservation strategies. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different packaging types on the physicochemical, functional, and visual quality of A. humile fruits stored under refrigeration (6 °C) for up to 15 days. A completely randomized design (6 × 6 factorial) was used, consisting of six packaging types and six storage periods, with three replicates. Analyses were performed every three days for weight loss, firmness, respiration rate, color, soluble solids, titratable acidity, total extractable phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity. Packaging type and storage duration significantly affected the evaluated quality attributes, with responses varying according to the specific variable and storage period. BD, PP, and PET were the most effective packaging systems for minimizing weight loss, maintaining values below 2% at the end of their respective evaluation periods. In contrast, EPS and NY exhibited substantially greater dehydration and lost acceptable commercial quality before the final evaluation at day 15. Firmness, color attributes, total extractable phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity showed distinct packaging- and time-dependent responses, with no single packaging system consistently exhibiting superior performance for all attributes throughout storage. Pearson correlation and principal component analyses indicated that weight loss and respiration rate were associated with storage progression and quality deterioration, whereas firmness, color attributes, total extractable phenolic compounds, and FRAP antioxidant activity were generally associated with better-preserved samples. Overall, packaging effectiveness depended on both the quality attribute considered and storage duration. Packaging systems with greater moisture retention, particularly BD, PP, and PET, were effective in limiting fruit dehydration, while the preservation of physicochemical and functional attributes varied among packaging systems over time. These findings provide a basis for selecting packaging strategies according to specific postharvest quality requirements and may contribute to the commercial valorization of A. humile and its inclusion in sustainable value chains.