Abstract
We fabricated a novel chitosan-carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) layer-by-layer assembly system to facilitate the postharvest quality of the fresh produce. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), TA-XT2 texture analyzer, water vapor permeability (WVP) analyzer, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were applied to compare the properties of chitosan and layer-by-layer assembly. The strategy involved the optimization of water vapor permeability, puncture strength, and elasticity properties of multiplayer polymer coating. Results showed that the lemon (Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f.), coated by chitosan-CMC layer-by-layer assembly, displayed significantly higher lemon firmness and vitamin C content with excellent morphology, as well as inhibited weight loss and flesh browning. This study could provide support for quality maintenance in the fruit and vegetable industry and make a significant contribution to the utilization of the natural polysaccharide as a viable resource.
Highlights
Due to the increasing awareness of human health and environment pollution issues, the development of natural biodegradable polymers for the quality maintenance of fresh produce has been increasingly attractive [1]
E efficacy of a chitosan-carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) LBL assembly, formed by CMC and chitosan, on postharvest quality maintenance of the lemon fruit was evaluated in the present study. e characteristic properties, including thickness, water vapor permeability (WVP), puncture strength (PS), and elasticity of LBL assembly, were investigated, and the representative quality attributes of the lemon fruit, including weight loss, total soluble solid (TSS), and titratable acidity (TA), were studied. is study may promote the application of CMCchitosan or other polysaccharides on the postharvest quality maintenance of the fresh produce
In spite of the greater thickness, the water vapor permeability of the LBL assembly was significantly (1.74 times) greater than that of chitosan (p < 0.05), in agreement with their higher hydration level. e phenomenon was presumably related to the swelling behavior of the chitosan coating in the humid atmosphere, or related to the crosslinking between CMC and chitosan which results in a formation of a more loosely packed poriferous matrix rather than of a denser one and enlarges the intermolecular space and promotes the transport of water molecules in the assembly structure
Summary
Due to the increasing awareness of human health and environment pollution issues, the development of natural biodegradable polymers for the quality maintenance of fresh produce has been increasingly attractive [1]. The LBL electrostatic deposition approach was applied to prepare biogradable edible coatings which resulted in the notable quality improvement of the fresh produce [18]. E efficacy of a chitosan-CMC LBL assembly, formed by CMC and chitosan, on postharvest quality maintenance of the lemon fruit was evaluated in the present study. E characteristic properties, including thickness, water vapor permeability (WVP), puncture strength (PS), and elasticity of LBL assembly, were investigated, and the representative quality attributes of the lemon fruit, including weight loss, total soluble solid (TSS), and titratable acidity (TA), were studied. E efficacy of a chitosan-CMC LBL assembly, formed by CMC and chitosan, on postharvest quality maintenance of the lemon fruit was evaluated in the present study. e characteristic properties, including thickness, water vapor permeability (WVP), puncture strength (PS), and elasticity of LBL assembly, were investigated, and the representative quality attributes of the lemon fruit, including weight loss, total soluble solid (TSS), and titratable acidity (TA), were studied. is study may promote the application of CMCchitosan or other polysaccharides on the postharvest quality maintenance of the fresh produce
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