Electronic Theses and Dissertation

Buah melon merupakan komoditas hortikultura yang banyak diminati masyarakat karena memiliki rasa manis, kandungan air tinggi, serta kandungan nutrisi yang bermanfaat bagi kesehatan. namun, buah potong melon termasuk produk terolah minimal yang mudah mengalami kerusakan akibat proses respirasi, transpirasi, kehilangan air, perubahan tekstur, serta penurunan mutu selama penyimpanan. salah satu upaya yang dapat dilakukan untuk mempertahankan kualitas buah potong melon adalah dengan penggunaan edible coating berbahan sodium alginat. sodium alginat merupakan polisakarida alami yang mampu membentuk lapisan pelindung pada permukaan buah sehingga dapat menghambat kehilangan air, memperlambat respirasi, serta menjaga mutu fisik dan kimia buah selama penyimpanan. penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh konsentrasi edible coating sodium alginat dan durasi perendaman terhadap kualitas buah potong melon. penelitian dilaksanakan menggunakan rancangan acak lengkap (ral) pola faktorial yang terdiri atas dua faktor. faktor pertama yaitu konsentrasi edible coating sodium alginat yang terdiri atas kontrol, 1%, 2%, dan 3%, sedangkan faktor kedua yaitu durasi perendaman yang terdiri atas 1, 3 dan 5 menit. buah melon dipotong berbentuk kubus berukuran 2×2×2 cm, kemudian direndam sesuai perlakuan dan disimpan pada suhu 10°c selama 12 hari penyimpanan. pengamatan dilakukan pada hari ke-0, 4, 8, dan 12 hsp terhadap parameter susut bobot, kadar air, kadar vitamin c, total padatan terlarut, uji warna l*a*b*, dan uji organoleptik warna luar dan dalam daging buah, rasa, tekstur, aroma dan penerimaan keseluruhan. data hasil penelitian dianalisis menggunakan analisis ragam (anova) dan dilanjutkan dengan uji beda nyata jujur (bnj) pada taraf 5% apabila menunjukkan pengaruh nyata. hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa perlakuan konsentrasi edible coating sodium alginat berpengaruh sangat nyata terhadap uji organoleptik penerimaan keseluruhan, berpengaruh nyata terhadap kadar air, kadar vitamin c, uji organoleptik warna luar daging buah dan rasa. konsentrasi edible coating sodium alginat yang terbaik terhadap kualitas buah potong melon adalah 1%. durasi perendaman berpengaruh sangat nyata terhadap uji organoleptik aroma, berpengaruh nyata terhadap kadar vitamin c, uji organoleptik warna luar daging buah, rasa dan tekstur. durasi perendaman yang terbaik terhadap kualitas buah potong melon adalah 1 menit. interaksi antara konsentrasi edible coating sodium alginat dan durasi perendaman berpengaruh tidak nyata pada seluruh parameter pengamatan terhadap kualitas buah potong melon.

Melons are a horticultural commodity that is highly sought after by the public because they have a sweet taste, high water content, and nutrients that are beneficial to health. However, cut melons are minimally processed products that are prone to spoilage due to respiration, transpiration, water loss, changes in texture, and quality deterioration during storage. One approach that can be taken to maintain the quality of cut melon is the use of an edible coating made from sodium alginate. Sodium alginate is a natural polysaccharide capable of forming a protective layer on the fruit’s surface, thereby inhibiting water loss, slowing respiration, and preserving the fruit’s physical and chemical quality during storage. This study aims to determine the effect of the concentration of the edible sodium alginate edible coating and soaking duration on the quality of cut melon. The study was conducted using a Complete Randomized Design (CRD) with a factorial layout consisting of two factors. The first factor was the concentration of the sodium alginate edible coating, comprising a control, 1%, 2%, and 3%, while the second factor was the soaking duration, comprising 1, 3, and 5 minutes. The melon was cut into 2×2×2 cm cubes, then soaked according to the treatment and stored at 10°C for 12 days. Observations were conducted on days 0, 4, 8, and 12 after harvest (HSP) for the following parameters: weight loss, moisture content, vitamin C content, total dissolved solids, L*a*b* color analysis, and organoleptic evaluation of the external and internal color of the fruit flesh, taste, texture, aroma, and overall acceptability. The research data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and followed by the Honest Significant Differences (HSD) test at the 5% level if a significant effect was observed. The results showed that the concentration of the sodium alginate edible coating had a highly significant effect on the organoleptic assessment of overall acceptability, a significant effect on moisture content, vitamin C content, the organoleptic assessment of the external color of the fruit flesh, and taste. The optimal concentration of the sodium alginate edible coating for the quality of cut melon was 1%. Soaking duration had a highly significant effect on the organoleptic assessment of aroma, a significant effect on vitamin C content, and a significant effect on the organoleptic assessment of the external color of the fruit flesh, taste, and texture. The optimal soaking duration for the quality of cut melon was 1 minute. The interaction between the concentration of the edible sodium alginate coating and soaking duration had no significant effect on any of the observed parameters related to the quality of cut melon.