Abstract
Edible coatings and films (ECF) are employed as matrixes for incorporating antimicrobial nanoparticles (NPs), and then they are applied on the fruits and vegetables to prolong shelf life and enhance storage quality. This paper provides a comprehensive review on the preparation, antimicrobial properties and mechanisms, surface and physical qualities of ECF containing antimicrobial NPs, and its efficient application to vegetables and fruits as well. Following an introduction on the properties of the main edible coating materials, the preparation technologies of ECF with NPs are summarized. The antimicrobial activity of ECF with NPs against the tested microorganism was observed by many researchers. This might be mainly due to the electrostatic interaction between the cationic polymer or free metal ions and the charged cell membrane, the photocatalytic reaction of NPs, the detachment of free metal ion, and partly due to the antimicrobial activity of edible materials. Moreover, their physical, mechanical and releasing properties are discussed in detail, which might be influenced by the concentration of NPs. The preservation potential on the quality of fruits and vegetables indicates that various ECF with NPs might be used as the ideal materials for food application. Following the introduction on these characteristics, an attempt is made to predict future trends in this field.
Highlights
High decay rates pose a significant challenge to the storage of fruits and vegetables leading to nutrient loss and the spread of microorganisms responsible for degradation [1], leading to huge fresh produce losses due to inappropriate storage conditions all over the world every year
SEM, Hasheminya et al [47] determined that the CuO NPs displayed uniform distribution across the kefiran-carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) polymer matrix, while Shankar et al [108] discovered that the sulfur nanoparticles (SNP) were dispersed evenly in the CS film
The antimicrobial activity of Edible coatings and films (ECF) with NPs against the tested microorganism were observed by researchers
Summary
High decay rates pose a significant challenge to the storage of fruits and vegetables leading to nutrient loss and the spread of microorganisms responsible for degradation [1], leading to huge fresh produce losses due to inappropriate storage conditions all over the world every year Innovative technologies such as edible coatings and films (ECF) and controlled atmosphere packaging are suggested as possible solutions for maintaining the quality of agricultural products during storage and shelf time [2,3,4]. Been published to summarize the preparation and various properties of ECF with antimicrobial NPs. several edible-based coating and nanostructured materials were developed and applied in for the storage of vegetables and fruits. Its applications in the storage of fruits and vegetables were the properties including gas modification, induction defense and ion release of ECF with NPs were introduced and the useful insights for its further research were provided. Its applications in the storage of fruits and vegetables were introduced and the useful insights for its further research were provided
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