Abstract
Easily sourced mucus from various plant parts is an odorless, colorless and tasteless substance with emerging commercial potential in agriculture, food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals due to its non-toxic and biodegradable properties. It has been found that plant-derived mucilage can be used as a natural thickener or emulsifier and an alternative to synthetic polymers and additives. Because it is an invisible barrier that separates the surface from the surrounding atmosphere, it is used as edible coatings to extend the shelf life of fresh vegetables and fruits as well as many food products. In addition to its functional properties, mucilage can also be used for the production of nanocarriers. In this review, we focus on mucus extraction methods and its use as a natural preservative for fresh produce. We detailed the key properties related to the extraction and preservation of food, the mechanism of the effect of mucus on the sensory properties of products, coating methods when using mucus and its recipe for preserving fruit and vegetables. Understanding the ecological, economic and scientific factors of production and the efficiency of mucus as a multi-directional agent will open up its practical application in many industries.
Highlights
Mucilage can be extracted from any part of the plant is considered a valuable natural polysaccharides source with excellent potential in pharmaceutical and food applications
In another study done by Devi methyl group (1.23 ppm), non-anomeric protons (3.1 and 4.1 ppm), OH and CH2 groups et al [50], it was observed that flaxseed mucilage contains methylene and thio portions of of arabinose (δ 3.55 and δ 3.39 ppm), while chia seed mucilage contains OH and CH
Mujtaba et al [90] prepared chia seed mucilage composite films with the incorporation of cellulose nanofibrils at various concentrations by using the solution casting method. Microorganisms such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus mutans, Salmonella typhimurium, Bacillus thuringiensis, and Staphylococcus aureus were incubated in LB agar at 37 ◦ C for 24 h. the result indicated that chia seed-based cellulose nanofibrils composite film improved antimicrobial activity with the increasing of cellulose nanofibrils concentrations (3–6%)
Summary
Plant-derived polymers have attained high demand in food and other industries due to their diverse industrial applications such as film coating, emulsifier, binder, and gelling agents, they are excessively used in the textile industry, paper industry, and cosmetic industry [1,2]. Mucilage (a complex of polymeric polysaccharide) is mainly composed of carbohydrates with highly branched structures that consist of monomer units of L-arabinose, D-xylose, D-galactose, L-rhamnose, and galacturonic acid. They contain glycoproteins and different bioactive components such as tannins, alkaloids, and steroids [8,9,10]. Mucilage produces an indefinite number of monosaccharides on hydrolysis, depending on the type of hydrolysis products obtained due to the nature of the polysaccharide It can further classify into pentose sugars (xylan) and hexose sugars (cellulose and starch) and can be considered as gum like components due to their similar physiological properties. The application of mucilage crosslinked nanohydrogels and mucilage coated metal nanoparticles are discussed with mechanisms and schematic diagrams
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