Preservation of Strawberries with an Antifungal Edible Coating Using Peony Extracts in Chitosan

Springer Science and Business Media LLC - Tập 9 - Trang 1951-1960 - 2016
Caterina Pagliarulo1, Francesca Sansone2, Stefania Moccia2,3, Gian Luigi Russo3, Rita Patrizia Aquino2, Paola Salvatore4,5, Michele Di Stasio3, Maria Grazia Volpe3
1Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie, Università degli Studi del Sannio, Benevento, Italy
2Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università di Salerno, Fisciano, Italy
3Istituto di Scienze dell'Alimentazione-CNR, Avellino, Italy
4Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy
5CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate, Naples, Italy

Tóm tắt

Strawberries represent a valuable source of bioactive compounds including vitamin C, E, β-carotene, and phenolic compounds, but they are fruits with an extremely short postharvest life. Therefore, the current study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of an active coating consisting in antifungal microparticles obtained by spray drying of peony extracts (Paeonia rockii (PPR)) dispersed in chitosan (Ch) and subsequent addition to polysaccharide gels to slow the fungal attack of small highly perishable fruits, such as strawberries. The results of the antimicrobial assays indicate that the peony extracts in chitosan are able to counteract effectively the growth of different fungal isolates from deteriorated strawberries. In conclusion, through the treatment with this antifungal coating, it is possible to prolong the shelf life of delicate fruits, such as strawberries, to about 16 days, slowing down the weight loss, affecting the safeguard of important vitamins and antioxidant capacity during storage, without causing any significant alteration of the nutritional and sensorial properties of the product.

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