Development of edible bioactive coating based on modified chitosan for increasing the shelf life of strawberries

For increasing the shelf life of strawberries during storage, bioactive coatings were applied using modified polysaccharides of chitosan. First, antimicrobial tests were performed with selected essential oils to evaluate their antimicrobial capacities against moulds and total flora isolated from strawberries. Red thyme (RT) and oregano extract (OR) were found as strong bioactive agents against moulds and total flora isolated from strawberries, whereas limonene (LIM) and peppermint (PM) had lower antimicrobial properties. These essential oils were also used as bioactive compounds which were sprayed onto strawberries and evaluated for their potential to increase shelf life during storage at 4 °C. RT, PM and LIM were found to be more efficient preservative agents for strawberries during 14 days of storage. Finally, chitosan was functionalized by acylation with palmitoyl chloride to increase its hydrophobicity, to ensure a controlled release and improve its stability and adhesion to the fruit product. LIM and PM were incorporated into the modified chitosan to create bioactive edible coatings and these were tested for their ability to extend the shelf life of fresh strawberries during storage. Formulations based on modified chitosan containing LIM and Tween®80 were shown to perform better than other formulations.     

Development of antimicrobial edible coating based on modified chitosan for the improvement of strawberries shelf life

Food Science and Biotechnology - Edible antimicrobial coating produced from chitosan (CS) and its derivative was applied to improve the shelf life of fresh strawberries at 10 °C....     

Effects of chitosan coating and storage position on quality and shelf life of eggs

Effects of chitosan coating and storage positions (small-end down, small-end up or horizontal) on internal quality and shelf life of eggs were evaluated during 5 weeks of storage at 25 °C. Compared with noncoated eggs, all chitosan-coated eggs, irrespective of storage positions, had significantly lesser weight loss, higher Haugh units and higher yolk index throughout the storage. Chitosan coating, irrespective of storage positions, extended the egg shelf life by at least 3 weeks at 25 °C compared with noncoated eggs. Noncoated and chitosan-coated eggs placed small-end down tentatively showed better quality than eggs placed small-end up after 3 and 4 weeks of storage. After 5 weeks of storage, storage positions did not significantly affect quality of noncoated and chitosan-coated eggs. There were no notable differences in total amino acid content of the albumen and fatty acid composition of the yolk between noncoated and chitosan-coated eggs after 5 weeks of storage.     

Effect of modified atmosphere packaging on the microbial development and visible shelf life of a mayonnaise-based vegetable salad

The effect of a modified atmosphere of 20% carbon dioxide, 80% nitrogen, on the microbial development and visual shelf life of a mayonnaise-based vegetable salad is reported. The modified atmosphere delayed the spoilage of the salad at all three chosen storage temperatures. The principal organisms causing spoilage of the salads were yeasts, those spoiling the modified atmosphere packs having a fermentative ability. Modified atmosphere packaging of the vegetable salad would allow the manufacturer to increase the shelf life of the product from 40 to 54 days at 4°C storage, 12 to 22 days at 10°C storage, and 5 to 12 days at 15°C storage.     

Effects of tal pro-long,a surface coating agent,on the shelf life and quality attributes of plantain

The effects of Tal Pro-long, a commercial fruit coating, on the shelf life and selected quality attributes of plantain were investigated. Relative to untreated fruits, yellow colour development was retarded by 4 to 8 days, and changes in pH and total acidity were delayed in plantain dipped in 1.5% or 2.5% Pro-long solution when stored at 30°C or at 20–24°C. Pro-long treatment had less effect on the pulp: peel ratio of plantain and on changes in moisture contents of pulp and peel during storage. After ripening, fruits dipped in 1.5% Pro-long solution produced an acceptable, though slightly inferior, fried plantain product relative to untreated fruits.     

Effect of salep‐based edible coating enriched with grape seed extract on postharvest shelf life of fresh strawberries

Effects of novel edible coatings based on salep solution (SS) enriched with grape seed extract (GSE) (1.5% SS, 1.5% SS + 0.5% GSE, 1.5% SS + 1.5% GSE, 1.5% SS + 3% GSE) on the quality characteristics of fresh strawberries were monitored after 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 days of storage (1°C, 95% RH). The lowest growth of microorganisms, weight loss, softening and ascorbic acid, phenol and anthocyanin degradation was measured in strawberries coated with 1.5% SS + 3% GSE. The highest superoxide dismutase activity and the lowest peroxidase activity were determined in strawberries coated with 1.5% SS + 3% GSE. Moreover, they received the highest ranked sensory attributes. Incorporating GSE into the SS coating formulation as a new hurdle increased its antimicrobial properties and extended the shelf life of coated strawberries compared to uncoated by up to 20 days.     

Effects of chitosan coating on quality and shelf life of silver carp during frozen storage

The effects of chitosan coating on quality and shelf life of silver carp during frozen storage were investigated. Fish samples were treated with aqueous solution of 2% chitosan, and then stored at −3 °C for 30 days. The control and the treated fish samples were analyzed periodically for microbiological (total viable count), chemical (pH, TBA, TVB-N, K-value), and sensory characteristics. The results indicated that the effect of chitosan coating on fish samples was to retain their good quality characteristics and extend the shelf life during frozen storage, which was supported by the results of microbiological, chemical, and sensory evaluation analyses.     

Model on the microbial quality change of seasoned soybean sprouts for on-line shelf life prediction

The growth of aerobic bacteria on Korean seasoned soybean sprouts was modelled as a function of temperature to estimate microbial spoilage and shelf life on a real-time basis under dynamic storage conditions. Counts of aerobic bacteria on seasoned soybean sprouts stored at constant temperatures between 0 degrees C and 15 degrees C were recorded. The bootstrapping method was applied to generate many resampled data sets of mean microbial plate counts that were then used to estimate the parameters of the microbial growth model of Baranyi and Roberts. The distributions of the model parameters were quantified, and their temperature dependencies were expressed as mathematical functions. When the temperature functions of the parameters were incorporated into differential equations describing microbial growth, predictions of microbial growth under fluctuating temperature conditions were similar to observed microbial growth.     

Increasing shelf life of strawberries (Fragaria ssp) by using a banana starch-chitosan-Aloe vera gel composite edible coating

Strawberries are among the most consumed fruits in the world, however, they are highly susceptible to both microbial and fungal contamination during storage. In this study, we used composite films made from banana starch-chitosan and Aloe vera gel (AV gel) at different AV gel concentrations. Our results show that AV gel inclusion can significantly reduce fungal decay, increasing strawberries shelf life up to 15 day of storage at the highest AV gel concentration (20%), while maintaining their physicochemical properties, such as colour and firmness. Weight loss was reduced 5% with respect of the uncoated fruit. Our results can be attributed to the limited water vapour transfer allowed by the edible coating, this is the result of the crosslinking effect of the different AV gel and starch molecules that allows a more controlled decay of the strawberries in commercial storage conditions.     

海藻酸钠涂膜保鲜对冰温大黄鱼品质和货架期的影响

为探讨冰温贮藏与海藻酸钠对大黄鱼品质及货架期的影响,以冰鲜有氧贮藏大黄鱼为对照,分别用质量分数为0%、1. 0%、1. 5%和2. 0%的海藻酸钠涂膜大黄鱼,鱼体真空包装后冰温(-1℃)贮藏,分析鱼体微生物(菌落总数、产H2S菌数)、理化(pH、TVBN和TBA)、感官评价和质构等指标变化。结果表明,海藻酸钠涂膜处理组能有效延缓感官品质下降,色泽质构特性明显改善,细菌生长受到明显抑制。各处理组的pH值、TVBN、TBA等指标均优于对照组,其中1. 5%海藻酸钠涂膜大黄鱼TVBN、TBA、菌落总数和产H2S菌生长要比1. 0%和2. 0%变化慢,抑菌效果较好,有效延长货架期至29 d。该研究作为大黄鱼保鲜加工领域的参考具有一定的应用价值。     

Effect of 1-methylcyclopropene on shelf life,visual quality,antioxidant enzymes and health-promoting compounds in broccoli florets

The effect of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on quality, antioxidant enzymes and glucosinolate contents in broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) florets was investigated in the present study. Broccoli florets were treated with air (control) and 2.5 μl/l 1-MCP for 6 h at 20 °C, and were then stored at 20 °C for 5 days. 1-MCP treatment markedly extended shelf life, reduced postharvest deterioration, retarded chlorophyll degradation and inhibited the increase of malondialdehyde amount and activities of polyphenol oxidase and lipoxygenase in florets. The activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase in florets treated with 1-MCP were higher than those in control florets. 1-MCP treatment reduced the rate of decrease of total carotenoids, ascorbic acid and glucosinolates in florets when compared to those in the control. These results indicated that 1-MCP treatment could be a good candidate for extending shelf life, maintaining visual quality and reducing loss of health-promoting compounds, particularly glucosinolates in broccoli.     

Plasticizer types and coating methods affect quality and shelf life of eggs coated with chitosan

ABSTRACT:  Effects of different plasticizer types (glycerol, propylene glycol, and sorbitol) and coating methods (brushing, dipping, and spraying) on the internal quality and shelf life of chitosan-coated eggs were evaluated during 5 wk of storage at 25 °C. The Haugh unit and yolk index values suggested that chitosan coating, irrespective of the plasticizer types, extended the shelf life of eggs by almost 3 wk at 25 °C compared with noncoated eggs. After 5 wk of storage, plasticizer types did not significantly affect the quality (weight loss, Haugh unit, and yolk index) of chitosan-coated eggs. However, there was an observable trend indicating that use of sorbitol rather than propylene glycol and glycerol as a plasticizer was better in reducing weight loss (whole egg) of chitosan-coated eggs during a 5-wk storage. After a 5-wk storage, there were no significant differences in weight loss and weight of albumen and yolk among chitosan-coated eggs, regardless of the coating methods. However, both brushing and dipping methods yielded chitosan-coated eggs with better yolk (higher yolk index values) and albumen (lower pH) qualities than did the spraying method. During 3 to 5 wk of storage, the Haugh unit values of chitosan-coated eggs by the brushing method were higher than or comparable to those by dipping or spraying. Therefore, coating of eggs with chitosan using sorbitol as a plasticizer and by the brushing method may offer a protective barrier in preserving the internal quality and thus extending shelf life of eggs.     

冷却牛肉货架期及微生物多样性分析

目的 对冷却牛肉中的初始微生物进行鉴定,了解细菌菌落结构,为储藏冷却牛肉提供理论数据。方法 通过传统纯培养的方法和16S rDNA克隆分析法相结合,研究冷却牛肉中微生物菌落总数及结构。结果 冷却牛肉中的初始细菌总数为2.6×104 CFU/g,筛选出8株优势菌株,根据其形态、颜色等特征鉴定为：S01和S02都为假单孢菌属,S03为希瓦氏菌属,S04、S06为不动杆菌属,S05为窄食单胞菌属,S07 为嗜冷杆菌,S08 为葡萄球菌属。结论：冷却牛肉中优势菌为假单胞菌和希瓦氏菌属,在4 ℃条件下,货架期为5天。     

Effect of a gelatin coating on the shelf life of fresh meat

ABSTRACT:  The end of shelf life for fresh meat is determined by unacceptable aroma, appearance, and color, which appear before unacceptable microbial counts. Addition of a bovine gelatin coating to fresh meat may extend its shelf life. This study utilized a 20% bovine gelatin solution that was spray-coated onto beef tenderloins, pork loins, salmon fillets, and chicken breasts which were packaged in an 80% O₂ and 20% CO₂ modified atmosphere and stored under fluorescent light at 4 °C for 2 wk. All of the gelatin-coated fresh meat products showed a reduction in purge. The gelatin reduced purge by acting as a barrier to water loss. There was a reduction in color deterioration for gelatin-coated beef, a slight reduction of color deterioration for gelatin-coated pork, and no reduction in color deterioration for salmon and chicken. The gelatin coat reduced color deterioration by acting as a barrier to oxygen, but also had a negative effect on color due to its own color deterioration. No change in lipid oxidation was seen with any of the gelatin-coated meat products. The gelatin coat was not an effective barrier for lipid oxidation at refrigeration temperatures. Sensory analysis of beef tenderloins confirmed that color deterioration was reduced, and flavor was not affected by the application of a gelatin coat. The gelatin coat was equally effective during light and dark storage. It was more effective on vacuum packaged products than on modified atmosphere packaged products.     

Efficacy of cellulose-based coating on enhancing the shelf life of fresh eggs

Methylcellulose (2.00% w/v) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (1.00% w/v) -based coating was formulated to study the effects of polyethylene glycol-400 (PEG-400) and a stearic and palmitic acid blend (SPB) on water vapour permeability (WVP) and tensile properties. The efficacy of cellulose-based coating on fresh egg quality during 28-day storage at ambient temperature was investigated in terms of weight loss, pH, and albumen quality. The selected formulation obtained by a response surface analysis was 1.00% w/v PEG-400 and 4.00% w/v SPB. An edible cellulose-based solution was prepared for eggshell coating. A batch of fresh, grade AA 1-day eggs was coated with cellulose-based coating solution. The other batch consisted of uncoated eggs, which served as the control. Lower weight loss (4.28%) was observed in the cellulose-based coated eggs, compared to 8.83% for the uncoated eggs. The pH in albumen of coated and uncoated eggs increased from 8.71 and 8.72 to 9.44 and 9.76, respectively, after 4 weeks of storage. For albumen quality, Haugh units indicated that after 7 days, cellulose-based coated eggs changed from grade AA to grade A, and remained in grade A throughout the storage period; whereas after 5 days, uncoated eggs started to change from grade AA to grade A, and continually degraded to grade B during the 4 weeks of storage. This study highlights the promising use of cellulose-based coating to enhance the shelf life of fresh eggs.     

Whey protein isolate coating and concentration effects on egg shelf life

The influences of three different concentrations (6, 12 and 18%) of whey protein isolate (WPI) coatings on shelf‐life enhancements of the fresh egg quality (weight loss, pH, Haugh unit, yolk index and colors) and the shelf life were evaluated at room temperature. All coated eggs showed lower weight loss than uncoated eggs. Less weight loss (2.46 for 12% WPI and 2.38 for 18% WPI) was observed in WPI‐coated eggs. Haugh units (HU) indicated that coated eggs remained in grade ‘A’ during 3 weeks storage period, whereas uncoated (UC) changed from grade ‘A’ to ‘B’ after 1 week of storage. The HU and yolk‐index (YI) values of all WPI‐coated eggs were significantly higher than those of UC. Among the coated eggs, there were no significant differences in HU, but 12 and 18% WPI coated had higher YI than WPI 6% coated and UC. The albumen pH of the UC eggs was significantly higher than that of coated eggs. Yolk lightness (L*) and (b*); shell (a*) and (b*) of coated eggs were not different from UC after 4 weeks. Performance of WPI coatings depended on the concentration up to 12% but not between 12 and 18%. Results also indicated that WPI coatings served as protective barrier for shelf life of the eggs. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Influence of nano-ZnO on microbial growth,bioactive content and postharvest quality of strawberries during storage

A rapid decline of quality causes economic loss of strawberries after harvest. Treatments based on nano-ZnO at different concentrations (0.03%, 0.07% and 0.5%) were used to prolong the shelf-life of strawberry fruit in cold storage. After treatments microbial growth, weight loss, firmness, titratable acidity, soluble solid content, pH value, vitamin C, anthocyanin and total phenolics and antioxidant activity were evaluated at 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 days of storage. Furthermore, the levels of zinc and the sensory attributes of treated strawberries were evaluated three days after treatment. Nano-ZnO treatments decreased the microbial load during fruit storage (total mesophilic bacteria in control and 0.5% nano-ZnO treated strawberries were 4.35 and 3.67 Log CFU g^− 1, respectively). Treatments delayed weight loss, retained fruit firmness and maintained anthocyanin, vitamin C, phenol content and antioxidant activity at higher concentration than those of untreated fruit. Fruit sweetness and aftertaste attributes were not affected by treatments but the 0.5% ZnO treated fruit was less luminous (1.6) compared to control (5.6). 0.5% nano-ZnO was the most effective in delaying changes in the ripening and reducing microbial populations among the treatments. These findings indicated that the nano-ZnO might provide an alternative to maintain quality and control decay of fresh strawberries during extended storage.Industrial relevanceStrawberries are a highly perishable fruit and postharvest life is limited to 4 days or even shorter at room temperature or 2 weeks at cold storage, therefore finding a method to extend the shelf life of strawberries is important. Modified atmosphere packaging is a useful method but control of spoilage microorganisms is still a problem. Fruit coating has great potential to extend fruit postharvest life and maintain nutritional quality. Nano-ZnO may be an effective alternative.     

不同涂膜处理对马铃薯货架期品质的影响

以液体石蜡、植物油为涂膜材料,研究温度在15～20℃条件下各涂膜处理对马铃薯块茎呼吸强度、vc,还原糖、失重率、发芽率,腐烂率、多酚氧化酶(PPO)活性的影响.结果表明:两种涂膜处理可以明显抑制马铃薯块茎的呼吸强度,减少V<,c>含量的损失,降低还原糖含量,抑制PPO活性,降低块茎的失重率、发芽率、腐烂率,从而有效地延长块茎的货架期.