Active Bionanocomposite Coating Quality Assessments of Some Cucumber Properties with Some Diverse Applications during Storage Condition by Chitosan, Nano Titanium Oxide Crystals, and Sodium Tripolyphosphate

Mahmoud Helal,Murthy Chavali,Rokayya Sami,Amina A M Al-Mushhin,Abdullah Iqbal,Nishant Kumar,Garsa Alshehry,Eman Algarni,Amal Alyamani,Salman Aloufi,Huda Aljumayi,Abeer Almasoudi,Nada Benajiba,Nawal Madkhali

doi:10.3390/cryst12020131

Abstract

Cucumbers have a short shelf-life of about 14 days, they are perishable due to the high moisture content. This study aimed to study the effects of nano-coating material such as titanium nanoparticles and chitosan with the addition of sodium tripolyphosphate as a crosslinker to enhance cucumber quality during storage. Some essential physical, chemical, and biological parameters were determined. CH-Nano-ST (chitosan/nano titanium oxide crystals/sodium tripolyphosphate) retained the maximum greenness, −7.99, compared to CH-Nano samples, which recorded −7.31. CH-Nano (chitosan/nano titanium oxide crystals) remained the lightest, 44.38, and CH-Nano-ST was a little darker (43.73) compared to the others treatments. The discoloration was extra severe with control (22.30), which started to spoil after the end of the first week. After 21 days of the storage period at 10 °C, the reducing sugars content reduced to reach −0.64 g/100 g and −0.21 g/100 g for CH-Nano and CH-Nano-ST treatments, respectively. The CH-Nano-ST treatment presented a lower value of toughness, followed by CH-Nano at the end of the storage period. Moreover, the highest crispness index was detected for CH-Nano (5.12%), while CH-Nano-ST treatment had a slight decline to reach 4.92%. The biological results indicated that CH-Nano-ST treatment can be applied to delay the microbial contamination of Salmonella spp. in cucumbers as it reached 0.94 log CFU/g, while the CH-Nano treatment reached 1.09 log CFU/g, at the end of the storage period. In summary, nano-coating treatments with the addition of sodium tripolyphosphate can be applied to regulator postharvest quality measurements of the biological activities in cucumbers during storage at 10 °C until 21 days.

Highlights

Cucumber (Cucumissativus L.) is one of the essential seasonal vegetable crops globaly and a favourite commodity export for markets and local consumptions
Chitosan–nano titanium oxide crystals (CH-Nano) solution was prepared by dispersing with 1% concentration of
Followed by CH-Nano-ST and CH-Nano, while at the end of 21 days, CH-Nano remained the lightest with 44.38 and CH-Nano-ST was a little darker (43.73) than the others, which had some signs of spoilage and aging on cucumbers; Figure 2a

Summary

Introduction

Cucumber (Cucumissativus L.) is one of the essential seasonal vegetable crops globaly and a favourite commodity export for markets and local consumptions. It represents one of the greatest vital and financial vegetables in many countries and especially Saudi Arabia [1]. Cucumbers are consumed worldwide due to their brittle flavor, nutrients, and health benefits They have a short shelf-life ofabout 14 days, being perishable due to the high moisture content [4]. Cucumbers are influenced by respiration, moisture loss, yellowing, firmness, barrier, optical, mechanical changes, physiological injuries, shrivelling, and microbial growth during handling and storage processes [5]. Recent techniques have included mild heat treatments, cold-shock temperature, essential oils, and atmospheric conditions; they lead to decline several physiological and sensorial characterizes [14]

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