Use of modified atmosphere packaging combined with essential oils for prolonging post-harvest shelf life of mango (cv. Banganapalli and cv. Totapuri)

Evaluating the potential of 1-methylcyclopropene treatments on physicochemical properties, bioactive compounds, and shelf life of mango fruits under different storage conditions

The effect of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatments and storage conditions in the regulation of the physicochemical and bioactive properties of mango fruits (Mangifera indica L. cv. BARI-4) were investigated during storage. Different concentrations of 1-MCP treated samples (T0 = Control, T1 = 0.5 μL/L, T2 = 1.0 μL/L, T3 = 1.5 μL/L, and T4 = 2.0 μL/L) were stored in developed storage structure (10±1 °C and 90 % RH), cold storage (3 ± 1 °C and 80 ± 2 % RH), and ambient storage (29 ± 3 °C and 65 ± 2 % RH). The change in fruit quality including weight loss, firmness, surface color, storage life, chemical, and bioactive properties were studied periodically at 10, 20, 30 and 40 days of storage. The results demonstrated that 1-MCP treatment effectively maintained the quality of fruits by retarding the loss of weight, firmness, total soluble solids (TSS), and titratable acidity, which were served as a quality parameter during storage. The 1-MCP treatment dramatically delayed the change in color, quality measures, and bioactive properties compared to the control group. The storage condition greatly influenced the postharvest quality value and storage life. In combination with the developed storage structure and 1-MCP treatment preserved the acceptability of fruits to a great extent for around 40 days. The T2 = 1.0 μL/L 1-MCP treatment preserved the fruit quality for the highest days of storage 14, 34, and 46 days in ambient storage, cold storage, and develop storage structure respectively. The developed storage structure (10 ± 1 °C and 90 % RH) with 1-MCP (1.0 μL/L) treatment suggested the optimum storage ability for preserving the postharvest storage life of mango fruits. By implementing these findings mango growers and suppliers can reduce post-harvest losses, expand market reach, and provide consumers with high-quality mangoes that retain their quality for an extended period.

Intrinsic properties and extrinsic factors of food matrix system affecting the effectiveness of essential oils in foods: a comprehensive review

Essential oils (EOs) have been proved as natural food preservatives because of their effective and wide-spectrum antimicrobial activity. They have been extensively explored for potential applications in food industry, and substantial progresses have been achieved. However well EOs perform in antibacterial tests in vitro, it has generally been found that a higher level of EOs is needed to achieve the same effect in foods. Nevertheless, this unsimilar effect has not been clearly quantified and elaborated, as well as the underlying mechanisms. This review highlights the influence of intrinsic properties (e.g., oils and fats, carbohydrates, proteins, pH, physical structure, water, and salt) and extrinsic factors (e.g., temperature, bacteria characteristics, and packaging in vacuum/gas/air) of food matrix systems on EOs action. Controversy findings and possible mechanism hypotheses are also systematically discussed. Furthermore, the organoleptic aspects of EOs in foods and promising strategies to address this hurdle are reviewed. Finally, some considerations about the EOs safety are presented, as well as the future trends and research prospects of EOs applications in foods. The present review aims to fill the evidenced gap, providing a comprehensive overview about the influence of the intrinsic and extrinsic factors of food matrix systems to efficiently orientate EOs applications.

Clove Essential Oil: Chemical Profile, Biological Activities, Encapsulation Strategies, and Food Applications

Plants have proven to be important sources for discovering new compounds that are useful in the treatment of various diseases due to their phytoconstituents. Clove (Syzygium aromaticum L.), an aromatic plant widely cultivated around the world, has been traditionally used for food preservation and medicinal purposes. In particular, clove essential oil (CEO) has attracted attention for containing various bioactive compounds, such as phenolics (eugenol and eugenol acetate), terpenes (β-caryophyllene and α-humulene), and hydrocarbons. These constituents have found applications in cosmetics, food, and medicine industries due to their bioactivity. Pharmacologically, CEO has been tested against a variety of parasites and pathogenic microorganisms, demonstrating antibacterial and antifungal properties. Additionally, many studies have also demonstrated the analgesic, antioxidant, anticancer, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory effects of this essential oil. However, CEO could degrade for different reasons, impacting its quality and bioactivity. To address this challenge, encapsulation is viewed as a promising strategy that could prolong the shelf life of CEO, improving its physicochemical stability and application in various areas. This review examines the phytochemical composition and biological activities of CEO and its constituents, as well as extraction methods to obtain it. Moreover, encapsulation strategies for CEO and numerous applications in different food fields are also highlighted.

Enhancing Gas Transmission Rate of PBS/PBAT Composite Films: A Study on Microperforated Film Solutions for Mango Storage

This study focused on improving the mechanical properties of the poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) film by incorporation of poly(butyrate adipate terephthalate) (PBAT). At 20 wt % PBAT, elongation in the transverse direction improved by 373% while maintaining high tensile strength (27 MPa) and Young's modulus (262 MPa). The PBS80/PBAT20 composite film exhibited optimized mechanical properties. The absorbance coefficient of microperforated film at 980/cm for the 80PBS/20PBAT mix, corresponding to the 10.2 μm CO2 laser wavelength, was 65/cm, indicating high film capability to absorb energy from the CO2 laser. The introduction of microholes enhanced the gas permeability of the PBS/PBAT film. As fluences increased from 187 to 370 J/cm2, there was a notable increase in microhole area in 80PBS/20PBAT film from 19,375 to 46,421 μm2. Concurrently, the gas transmission rate for a singular hole increased from 45 to 210 cm3/d for the oxygen transmission rate (OTR) and from 115 to 220 cm3/d for the CO2 transmission rate (CO2TR). For mango packed in microperforated 80PBS/20PBAT films, the O2 levels inside the package gradually dropped and remained at 14.2% in PBS80/PBAT20-MP1 (OTR ∼ 68,900 cm3/m2·d) and 16.7% in PBS80/PBAT20-MP2 (OTR ∼ 131,900 cm3/m2·d), while CO2 content increased to 6% for PBS80/PBAT20-MP1 and 4% for PBS80/PBAT20-MP2 throughout 33 days. On day 2 of storage in the nonperforated package, O2 content dropped to 2% while CO2 content rose to 22%. Mango packed in the 80PBS/20PBAT film package exhibited an unsatisfactory freshness quality due to the detection of a fermentative odor on day 5 of the storage period. Total soluble solids, color, and weight loss of mango remained stable during storage in all microperforated films. Results demonstrated that the mango shelf life was significantly extended by 35 days using 80PBS/20PBAT-MP1. Laser perforation offered a practical method for improving gas transmission rates (OTR and CO2TR) of 80PBS/20PBAT film for mango packaging.

Bioactive properties of clove (Syzygium aromaticum) essential oil nanoemulsion: A comprehensive review

Syzygium aromaticum, commonly called clove, is a culinary spice with medical uses. Clove is utilized in cosmetics, medicine, gastronomy, and agriculture due to its abundance of bioactive components such as gallic acid, flavonoids, eugenol acetate, and eugenol. Clove essential oil has been revealed to have antibacterial, antinociceptive, antibacterial activities, antifungal, and anticancerous qualities. Anti-inflammatory chemicals, including eugenol and flavonoids, are found in clove that help decrease inflammation and alleviate pain. The anti-inflammatory and analgesic qualities of clove oil have made it a popular natural cure for toothaches and gum discomfort. Due to its therapeutic potential, it has been used as a bioactive ingredient in coating fresh fruits and vegetables. This review article outlines the potential food processing applications of clove essential oil. The chemical structures of components, bioactive properties, and medicinal potential of clove essential oil, including phytochemical importance in food, have also been thoroughly addressed.

A combinatorial approach of Monarda citriodora essential oil (MEO) and linalool vapors to control fruit rot of Citrus limon caused by a new pathogen, Aspergillus foetidus, and its underlying mode of action

AIMS

Citrus limon (lemon) is a widely cultivated citrus fruit. Significant postharvest losses due to fungi plague its production. Environmental and human health hazards have made the application of synthetic fungicides unsuitable. Despite the previous reports of antifungal activities of essential oil (EO) vapors, their synergistic combinations are understudied. Synergistic vapor combinations are advantageous due to less concentration of active components. This study aimed to isolate and identify postharvest fungal pathogens lemon and to evaluate the antifungal effects of synergistic Monarda citriodora EO (MEO)-constituent vapor combinations in vivo and in vitro.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Postharvest fungal pathogens of lemon (C. limon) were isolated from various infected samples. The most pathogenic isolate was identified through morphology and its ITS-based rRNA gene sequencing as Aspergillus foetidus (O4). This is the first report of A. foetidus as a postharvest pathogen of lemon. The minimum fungicidal concentrations (MFCs) of MEO vapors treatment against O4 were 1346.15 µL/L air. For carvacrol, hexanal, and linalool, MFC was same (96.16 µL/L air). Checkerboard assays demonstrated that 1/4 MFC of MEO (336.54 µL/L air) and 1/4 MFC of linalool (24.04 µL/L air) (M + L) were synergistic against O4. M + L vapors reduced the O4 growth on lemons during storage by 64% ± 1.50% and preserved their quality (low weight loss %, unchanged pH, increased ascorbic acid content). Propidium iodide staining, ergosterol content analysis, calcofluor white staining and chitin content analysis revealed the integrity loss of the O4 plasma membrane and cell wall. 2',7'-Dichlorofluorescin diacetate staining revealed accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis exposed the M + L treated mycelia with malformations.

CONCLUSIONS

M + L vapors offer protection for lemons from A. foetidus and preserve their quality during storage.

Morin Treatment Delays the Ripening and Senescence of Postharvest Mango Fruits

A 0.005% and 0.01% morin treatment was applied to treat mango fruits stored under ambient conditions (25 ± 1 °C) with 85-90% relative humidity, and the effects on quality indexes, enzyme activity related to antioxidation and cell wall degradation, and gene expressions involved in ripening and senescence were explored. The results indicate that a 0.01% morin application effectively delayed fruit softening and yellowing and sustained the nutritional quality. After 12 days of storage, the contents of soluble sugar and carotenoid in the treatment groups were 68.54 mg/g and 11.20 mg/100 g, respectively, lower than those in control, while the vitamin C content in the treatment groups was 0.58 mg/g, higher than that in control. Moreover, a morin application successively enhanced the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD), but reduced the activity of polygalacturonase (PG) and pectin lyase (PL). Finally, real-time PCR and correlation analysis suggested that morin downregulated the ethylene biosynthesis (ACS and, ACO) and signal transduction (ETR1, ERS1, EIN2, and ERF1) genes, which is positively associated with softening enzymes (LOX, EXP, βGal, and EG), carotenoid synthesis enzymes (PSY and, LCYB), sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), and uncoupling protein (UCP) gene expressions. Therefore, a 0.01% morin treatment might efficiently retard mango fruit ripening and senescence to sustain external and nutritional quality through ethylene-related pathways, which indicates its preservation application.

Prolong the postharvest shelf life of spinach through the antioxidative ability of melatonin

Spinach is also known as Persian cuisine, it is rich in nutrients such as protein, vitamin C and minerals, and has high nutritional value. In this study, Spinach was treated with melatonin in order to prolong its shelf life. Melatonin has strong antioxidant effects as an endogenous free radical scavenger. The spinach was sprayed with 0.10, 0.20 and 0.30 mg/mL melatonin solution after harvesting, and distilled water was used as control for low temperature storage at 4 °C. The results showed that melatonin spraying Spinach delayed the degradation of chlorophyll, especially the treatment of 0.20 mg/mL melatonin was the most effective. The content of soluble sugar and soluble protein in spinach tissue was kept high, the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) was reduced, and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) were increased. These findings suggested that melatonin treatment may be a useful technique to prolong the postharvest life of spinach and improve its quality.

Application of Thymol Vapors to Control Postharvest Decay Caused by Penicillium digitatum and Lasiodiplodia theobromae in Grapefruit

Two of the major postharvest diseases impacting grapefruit shelf life and marketability in the state of Florida (USA) are stem-end rot (SER) caused by Lasiodiplodia theobromae and green mold (GM) caused by Penicillium digitatum. Here, we investigated the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of vapors of thymol, a natural compound found in the essential oil of various plants and the primary constituent of thyme (Thymus vulgaris) oil, as a potential solution for the management of GM and SER. Thymol vapors at concentrations lower than 10 mg L-1 significantly inhibited the mycelial growth of both pathogens, causing severe ultrastructural damage to P. digitatum conidia. In in vivo trials, the incidence and lesion area of GM and SER on inoculated grapefruit were significantly reduced after a 5 d exposure to 50 mg L-1 thymol vapors. In addition, the in vitro and in vivo sporulation of P. digitatum was suppressed by thymol. When applied in its vapor phase, thymol had no negative effect on the fruit, neither introducing perceivable off-flavor nor causing additional weight loss. Our findings support the pursuit of further studies on the use of thymol, recognized as safe for human health and the environment, as a promising strategy for grapefruit postharvest disease management.

Fabrication of Bio-Nanocomposite Packaging Films with PVA, MMt Clay Nanoparticles, CNCs, and Essential Oils for the Postharvest Preservation of Sapota Fruits

Sapota is an important climacteric fruit with limited shelf life. A special system must be employed to extend the shelf life of sapota fruits. In the present study, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and montmorillonite clay (MMt)-based bio-nanocomposite films (BNFs) were integrated at various concentrations (2%, 4%, 6%, and 8%) into cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), produced from garlic peels (GPs). The BNF loaded with 8% CNC has a better crystallinity index and mechanical properties than the other concentrations of CNC. Therefore, the 8% CNC-incorporated BNF (BNF-8) was selected for further packaging studies. The combined effect of BNF-8 with ajwain essential oil (AO) and oregano essential oil (OO) vapors and BNF-8 with carbendazim (commercial fungicide-CARB) were investigated. In this study, the BNF-based packagings are categorized into five types, viz: BNF+8% CNC (BNF-8), BNF-8+AO, BNF-8+OO, BNF-8+CARB and the non-packaged fruits (control). The shelf-life duration, antioxidant activity, firmness, decay index, and sensory quality were evaluated in order to identify the effectiveness of packaging treatment on sapota fruits. BNF-8+CARB, BNF-8+AO, and BNF-8+OO packaging extended the shelf life of sapota fruits to up to 12 days and maintained the overall physiochemical parameters and sensory qualities of the fruits. Therefore, the BNF-8+AO and BNF-8+OO packaging materials are appropriate alternatives to commercial fungicides for the preservation of sapota during postharvest storage.

Response Characteristics Study of Ethylene Sensor for Fruit Ripening under Temperature Control

Post-ripening fruits need to be ripened to reach edible conditions, as they are not yet mature enough when picked. Ripening technology is based mainly on temperature control and gas regulation, with the proportion of ethylene being one of the key gas regulation parameters. A sensor's time domain response characteristic curve was obtained through the ethylene monitoring system. The first experiment showed that the sensor has good response speed (maximum of first derivative: 2.01714; minimum of first derivative: -2.01714), stability (xg: 2.42%; trec: 2.05%; Dres: 3.28%), and repeatability (xg: 20.6; trec: 52.4; Dres: 2.31). The second experiment showed that optimal ripening parameters include color, hardness (Change Ⅰ: 88.53%, Change Ⅱ: 75.28%), adhesiveness (Change Ⅰ: 95.29%, Change Ⅱ: 74.72%), and chewiness (Change Ⅰ: 95.18%, Change Ⅱ: 74.25%), verifying the response characteristics of the sensor. This paper proves that the sensor was able to accurately monitor changes in concentration which reflect changes in fruit ripeness, and that the optimal parameters were the ethylene response parameter (Change Ⅰ: 27.78%, Change Ⅱ: 32.53%) and the first derivative parameter (Change Ⅰ: 202.38%, Change Ⅱ: -293.28%). Developing a gas-sensing technology suitable for fruit ripening is of great significance.

Green Management of Postharvest Anthracnose Caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides

Fruits and vegetables are constantly affected by postharvest diseases, of which anthracnose is one of the most severe and is caused by diverse Colletotrichum species, mainly C. gloeosporioides. In the last few decades, chemical fungicides have been the primary approach to anthracnose control. However, recent trends and regulations have sought to limit the use of these substances. Greener management includes a group of sustainable alternatives that use natural substances and microorganisms to control postharvest fungi. This comprehensive review of contemporary research presents various sustainable alternatives to C. gloeosporioides postharvest control in vitro and in situ, ranging from the use of biopolymers, essential oils, and antagonistic microorganisms to cultivar resistance. Strategies such as encapsulation, biofilms, coatings, compounds secreted, antibiotics, and lytic enzyme production by microorganisms are revised. Finally, the potential effects of climate change on C. gloeosporioides and anthracnose disease are explored. Greener management can provide a possible replacement for the conventional approach of using chemical fungicides for anthracnose postharvest control. It presents diverse methodologies that are not mutually exclusive and can be in tune with the needs and interests of new consumers and the environment. Overall, developing or using these alternatives has strong potential for improving sustainability and addressing the challenges generated by climate change.

Exploring dynamic changes of fungal cellular components during nanoemulsion treatment by multivariate microRaman imaging

Recently, essential oils (EO) have gained a lot of interest for use as antifungal agent in food and agricultural industry and extensive research is ongoing to understand their mode of action. However, the exact mechanism is not yet elucidated. Here, we integrated spectral unmixing and Raman microspectroscopy imaging to unveil the antifungal mechanism of green tea EO based nanoemulsion (NE) against Magnaporthe oryzae. The dramatic change in protein, lipid, adenine, and guanine bands indicate that NE has a significant impact on the protein, lipid and metabolic processes of purine. The results also demonstrated that the NE treatment caused damage to fungal hyphae by inducing a physical injury leading to cell wall damage and loss of integrity. Our study shows that MCR-ALS (Multivariate Curve Resolution-Alternating Least Squares) and N-FINDR (N-finder algorithm) Raman imaging could serve as a suitable complementary package to the traditional methods, for revealing the antifungal mechanism of action of EO/NE.

Antifungal Mechanism of Cinnamon Essential Oil against Chinese Yam-Derived Aspergillus niger

Chinese yam with damaged outer skin can be easily oxidized and infected by spoilage fungi. To find preservatives in the storage of the Chinese yam, Aspergillus niger 103 was isolated, identified, and determined as the dominant spoilage fungus in Chinese yam according to Koch’s postulates. Then, the strain was used as a model to screen antifungal agents and study antifungal mechanisms in this study. We found that cinnamon essential oil was the best antifungal agent, and the minimum concentration against Aspergillus niger 103 was 25 μg/mL. The storage life of Chinese yam could significantly extend by 27.66 days by spraying with cinnamon essential oil (25 μg/mL). To further explore the antifungal mechanism of cinnamon essential oil against Aspergillus niger 103, alkaline phosphatase activity and electrolyte content in the fungal solution were measured. The alkaline phosphatase activity and electrolyte content of the fungal solution with cinnamon essential oil were significantly increased than those without cinnamon essential oil, which showed that the cinnamon essential oil could destroy the integrity of the cell wall and cell membrane of Aspergillus niger 103, and disrupted cellular homeostasis of Aspergillus niger 103.

Research Progress on Mango Post-Harvest Ripening Physiology and the Regulatory Technologies

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is an important tropical fruit with a delicate taste, pleasant aroma, and high nutritional value. In recent years, with the promotion of the rural revitalization strategy and the development of the poverty alleviation industry, China has gradually become an important mango producer. However, the short shelf life of mango fruit, the difficulty in regulating the postharvest quality, and the lack of preservation technology are the main problems that need to be solved in China's mango industry. In this paper, the physiological changes and mechanisms of mango during postharvest ripening were summarized, including sugar and acid changes, pigment synthesis and accumulation, and aroma formation and accumulation. The physical, chemical, and biological technologies (such as endogenous phytohormones, temperature, light, chemical preservatives, and edible coatings) commonly used in the regulation of mango postharvest ripening and their action principles were emphatically expounded. The shortcomings of the existing mango postharvest ripening regulation technology and physiological mechanism research were analyzed in order to provide a reference for the industrial application and development of mango postharvest.

Effects of Different Freezing Methods on Physicochemical Properties of Sweet Corn during Storage

Fresh sweet corn has a series of physiological and biochemical reactions after picking due to the high moisture content, leading to damaged nutritional value. Rapid freezing of sweet corn after harvest can minimize tissue damage and quality deterioration. In this study, freshly harvested sweet corn was frozen by ultrasound-assisted freezing, brine freezing, strong wind freezing, and refrigerator freezing. The effects of different freezing methods on hardness, water loss, color, epidermal structure, soluble solids content, soluble sugars content, peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities of frozen sweet corn during storage were investigated. The results showed that brine freezing and strong wind freezing could effectively reduce the quality loss of sweet corn, keep the color, soluble sugars, and soluble solids content of the sweet corn, delay the decrease in antioxidant enzyme activity, and maintain the quality of sweet corn during long term storage.

A comprehensive review on clove (Caryophyllus aromaticus L.) essential oil and its significance in the formulation of edible coatings for potential food applications

Many studies have demonstrated the use of synthetic preservatives and chemical additives in food is causing poisoning, cancer, and other degenerative disorders. New solutions for food preservation with quality maintenance are currently emerging. As a result, public concern has grown, as they desire to eat healthier products that use natural preservatives and compounds rather than synthetic ones. Clove is a highly prized spice used as a food preservative and for a variety of therapeutic reasons. Clove essential oil and its principal active component, eugenol, indicate antibacterial and antifungal action, aromaticity, and safety as promising and valuable antiseptics in the food sector. Clove essential oil and eugenol are found to have strong inhibition effects on a variety of food-source bacteria, and the mechanisms are linked to lowering migration and adhesion, as well as blocking the creation of biofilm and various virulence factors. This review emphasizes the importance of CEO (clove essential oil) in the food industry and how it can be explored with edible coatings to deliver its functional properties in food preservation.

Supply Chain Management of Mango (Mangifera indica L.) Fruit: A Review With a Focus on Product Quality During Postharvest

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is a widely consumed fruit in tropical/subtropical regions around the world due to its excellent flavor and taste, and valuable source of nutrients and phytochemical compounds. As a climacteric fruit, mango is easily perishable after harvesting due to the ripening process, environmental conditions, and improper postharvest handling, leading to significant quality losses as well as economic loss throughout a supply chain. Postharvest losses are attributed to harvesting at an improper maturity stage, poor postharvest pretreatment, improper packing and packaging, inappropriate storage temperature and distribution conditions. These caused mechanical damage, sap burn, spongy tissue, weight loss, fruit softening, decay, chilling injury, and postharvest diseases. Currently, each step in the supply chain has been applied many postharvest technologies to reduce the quality losses of mango fruits as well as improving their marketability with the highest retention of quality. This review documented available possible causes for the quality losses and observed the physicochemical changes of mango fruit when applying postharvest technologies at each critical step in the mango supply chain from harvesting, pre-treatment, packaging, storage, to distribution. The summarized information is expected to provide comprehensive quality changes of mango fruits and point out the proper technology at each step of the supply chain.

Potential of engineered nanostructured biopolymer based coatings for perishable fruits with Coronavirus safety perspectives

Fresh fruits are prioritized needs in order to fulfill the required health benefits for human beings. However, some essential fruits are highly perishable with very short shelf-life during storage because of microbial growth and infections. Thus improvement of fruits shelf-life is a serious concern for their proper utlization without generation of huge amount of fruit-waste. Among various methods employed in extension of fruits shelf-life, design and fabrication of edible nanocoatings with antimicrobial activities have attracted considerable interest because of their enormous potential, novel functions, eco-friendly nature and good durability. In recent years, scientific communities have payed increased attention in the development of advanced antimicrobial edible coatings to prolong the postharvest shelf-life of fruits using hydrocolloids. In this review, we attempted to highlight the technical breakthrough and recent advancements in development of edible fruit coating by the application of various types of agro-industrial residues and different active nanomaterials incorporated into the coatings and their effects on shelf-life of perishable fruits. Improvements in highly desired functions such as antioxidant/antimicrobial activities and mechanical properties of edible coating to significantly control the gases (O2/CO2) permeation by the incorporation of nanoscale natural materials as well as metal nanoparticles are reviewed and discussed. In addition, by compiling recent knowledge, advantages of coatings on fruits for nutritional security during COVID-19 pandemic are also summarized along with the scientific challenges and insights for future developments in fabrication of engineered nanocoatings.

Application of essential oils in packaging films for the preservation of fruits and vegetables: A review

Fruits and vegetables are highly perishable in nature. Several factors could affect the quality and shelf life of fruits and vegetables. Packaging materials (usually made up of polymers, proteins, lipids, polysaccharides, etc.,) are incorporated with essential oil (EO) which is high in antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds that can enhance the shelf life of fruits and vegetables without affecting their quality. However, the use of EO for postharvest preservation can alter the organoleptic properties of fresh produce. Exploiting synergistic interactions between several EOs, encapsulation of EO, or combining EO with non-thermal techniques such as irradiation, UV-C, cold plasma, ultrasound, etc., may help in preventing the spoilage of food products at lower concentrations without altering their organoleptic properties. This review aims to discuss the overview and current scenario of packaging film with EO for the preservation of fruit and vegetables. We have also discussed the spoilage mechanism of fruits and vegetables, mode of action of EOs, and the effect of EO with packaging film on antimicrobial and sensory properties of fruits and vegetables.

Effects of Edible Coating and Modified Atmosphere Technology on the Physiology and Quality of Mangoes after Low-Temperature Transportation at 13 °C in Vibration Mitigation Packaging

The mango is an important tropical fruit in the world, but it is easily perishable after harvest. In order to investigate the effect of the compound preservation technology on the physiology and quality of mangoes during transportation and storage, mangoes were treated with different packaging and preservation methods. All mangoes were subjected to simulated transportation by a vibration table for 24 h (180 r/min, 13 °C), and stored at 13 °C. The changes in the color, physicochemical characteristics, quality, and antioxidant-related enzymes of the mangoes were measured. The results show that the shelf life of inflatable bag packing (CK) was only 24 d, while the other treatments could be 30 d. The inflatable bag packing with modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) treatment (HPM) had the lowest yellowing degree (12.5%), disease index (34.4%), and mass loss (2.95%), at 30 d. Compared with the CK, the compound treatment containing MAP prolonged the peak respiration of the mangoes by 6 d and suppressed the increase in the total soluble solids and relative conductivity. Meanwhile, the HPM could effectively maintain moisture content, firmness, titratable acid, vitamin C, and the peroxidase and superoxide dismutase content, indicating that the treatment could maintain the better quality and antioxidation ability of mangoes. In summary, the MAP compound treatment better maintained the commercial characteristics of the mangoes, followed by the edible coating compound treatment. The results provide a theoretical reference for mango cushioning packaging and postharvest storage technology.

Clove Essential Oil (Syzygium aromaticum L. Myrtaceae): Extraction, Chemical Composition, Food Applications, and Essential Bioactivity for Human Health

Clove (Syzygium aromaticum L. Myrtaceae) is an aromatic plant widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical countries, rich in volatile compounds and antioxidants such as eugenol, β-caryophyllene, and α-humulene. Clove essential oil has received considerable interest due to its wide application in the perfume, cosmetic, health, medical, flavoring, and food industries. Clove essential oil has biological activity relevant to human health, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, and insecticidal activity. The impacts of the extraction method (hydrodistillation, steam distillation, ultrasound-assisted extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, cold pressing, and supercritical fluid extraction) on the concentration of the main volatile compounds in clove essential oil and organic clove extracts are shown. Eugenol is the major compound, accounting for at least 50%. The remaining 10-40% consists of eugenyl acetate, β-caryophyllene, and α-humulene. The main biological activities reported are summarized. Furthermore, the main applications in clove essential oil in the food industry are presented. This review presents new biological applications beneficial for human health, such as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anesthetic, antinociceptive, and anticancer activity. This review aims to describe the effects of different methods of extracting clove essential oil on its chemical composition and food applications and the biological activities of interest to human health.