Increasing environmental awareness has promoted an interest in alternative strategies to common plastics obtained from fossil sources, stimulating research on the use of biodegradable and edible films/coatings obtained from renewable sources such as arrowroot starch. This research work aimed to evaluate the use of arrowroot starch on the formation of edible films and coatings. Increasing the concentration of arrowroot starch (from 1% to 5%, mass/mass) in the film produced by casting resulted in increased water vapor permeability (from 2.20 to 3.68 g mm/m2 day kPa), moisture content (3.22% to 7.95%), increased thickness (from 0.029 to 0.101 mm), and decreased solubility in water (from 22.45% to 13.89%). The films were homogeneous, transparent and manageable, with the exception of the film with 1% starch. Film-forming solutions at concentrations of 0%, 2%, and 4% (mass/mass) of arrowroot starch were prepared and applied to plums to evaluate post-harvest behavior when stored at 25 and 5 °C for 35 days. The 2% coating adhered well to the plums’ surfaces, was bright and was effective in reducing mass loss and respiratory rate, associated with storage temperature of 5 °C. The 4% coating presented an opaque and flocculated appearance.

Plums are fruits rich in bioactive compounds, which have high antioxidant capacity. However, plums are highly perishable. Its shelf life is usually reduced by loss of firmness, nutritional and functional compounds. The use of edible coating is a recent alternative for improving post-harvest quality and prolonging the shelf life of plums.The objective of this research work was to evaluate the effect of application of edible coatings of arrowroot starch at concentrations of 0,2 and 4% (m/m), plus glycerol (15% in relation to starch mass), in post-harvest behavior of plums stored at 25 °C and 5 °C for 35 days.The 2% starch film adhered well to the surface of plums and was bright, while 4% starch film appeared opaque and flocculated. The plums stored at 25 °C withered and were contaminated by fungi after 7 days, and were preserved for only 14 days. For fruits stored at 5 °C, no visible changes in texture were observed.The water content, pH, acidity and soluble solids of fruits remained stable during the analyzed period.The anthocyanin content ranged from 5.64 ± 0.60 to 2.00 ± 0.16 mg/100 g of fresh sample. The films were efficient in relation to the control sample for weight loss in the first weeks of storage.It can be concluded that the use of coating allied to low temperature assists in the extension of plum shelf life.