Abstract
The objective of the present study is to evaluate the effect of individual and combined coatings of chitosan (0.008 g·mL−1) and carnauba wax (0.1 g·mL−1) with oregano essential oil (OEO, 0.08 g·mL−1) to reduce dehydration and microbial decay of fresh cucumbers stored at 10 °C. Chitosan-OEO-wax films showed the lowest water vapor transmission rate (0.141 g·m−2·h−1), compared to single chitosan films (0.257 g·m−2·h−1). While chitosan-OEO films completely inhibited the in vitro growth of Alternaria alternata and reduced the growth of Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157:H7, mesophilic bacteria, and fungi isolated from decayed cucumbers. Besides, the infrared analysis of chitosan-OEO-wax films showed shifts in O–H and N–H absorption bands, indicating possible hydrogen bonding between the components. Wax and wax-OEO were the most effective coatings to prevent weight loss in cucumbers during 15 days of storage at 10 °C, while the most effective antimicrobial treatments were chitosan and chitosan-OEO. Therefore, these results showed that carnauba wax and carnauba wax-OEO coatings were the most effective in weight loss, whereas chitosan and chitosan-OEO were the most effective to reduce the microbial load of the treated fresh cucumber.
Highlights
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is a low-calorie fruit belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family, non-climacteric, harvested, and consumed at an immature stage
oregano essential oil (OEO) spectrum showed at 3361 and 2958 cm−1 the characteristic peaks of O–H and C–H stretching, respectively; these signals could be attributed to the presence of carvacrol and thymol
A shift in the O–H stretching peak of the chitosan was observed (∆OH = 11) when combined with OEO (Figure 1c), which could be attributed to the interactions between the terpenoids and chitosan
Summary
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is a low-calorie fruit belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family, non-climacteric, harvested, and consumed at an immature stage. Some of these problems are solved with the use of low storage temperatures; cucumbers are sensitive to chilling injury below 10 ◦ C; for this reason, they are stored at 10–12.5 ◦ C, becoming more susceptible to quality loss after 14 days.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
