Abstract
Cherry tomatoes are one of the most popular tomato varieties known for their bioactive compounds and sensory properties. One way to reduce the contamination of tomato is to coat them with natural or antimicrobial substances. In this study, an ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP) was obtained, and its chemical composition was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector (HPLC-DAD), and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal/fungicidal concentration (MBC/MFC) were determined using the serial microdilution method. The antimicrobial activity of 5 and 10% EEP and pullulan films containing EEP (5 and 10%) against Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157, Penicillium chrysogenum, Fusarium solani, and Botrytis cinerea were compared. The influence of a pullulan coating containing EEP (5 and 10%) on reducing the number of bacteria and molds, physicochemical properties (weight loss (WL), total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), maturity index, pH, and color), and sensory properties (color and brightness of skin, aroma, flavor, overall quality, and general preference) of cherry tomatoes during refrigerated storage was evaluated. Pullulan films with EEP inhibited the growth of microorganisms on cherry tomatoes. These coatings did not affect the TSS and pH values of tomatoes, but a slight decrease in TA and WL was observed. Cherry tomatoes coated with pullulan coatings containing EEP did not show any adverse changes in their sensory properties. It was found that the addition of EEP to the pullulan coatings enriched them with antimicrobial properties and enhanced their action while reducing the WL and maturation time of cherry tomatoes.Graphical
Highlights
Tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables in the world
The propolis we studied belongs to the poplar type, and its characteristic chemical components include pinocembrin, chrysin, pinostrobin, and p-coumaric acid (Isidorov et al 2014; Kuś et al 2018; Popova et al 2017)
Other types of propolis are dominated by different chemical components; for example, Brazilian red propolis contains luteolin, naringenin, kaempferol, pinocembrin, and biochanin A; Pacific propolis contains prenylflavanones, namely, propolin H, propolin G, propolin D, propolin C, and propolin F; and Mediterranean propolis contains isocupressic, pimaric, and imbricatoloic acid (Graikou et al 2016; Machado et al 2016; Popova et al 2010)
Summary
Tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables in the world. These annual, self-pollinating plants belong to the Solanaceae family. After the discovery of America, tomatoes were brought to Europe and grown all over the world (Terzopoulos and Bebeli 2010). Today, they are eaten fresh as well as in processed forms such as ketchup, pastes, and sauces. Tomatoes contain many bioactive compounds, and their chemical composition includes vitamins C and E, carotenoids, chlorophyll, lycopene, organic acids, flavonoids, and phenols, which have pro-health effects such as reducing the incidence of heart disease (Asensio et al 2019; Mahieddine et al 2018). One of the most popular varieties of tomatoes is cherry tomatoes, which are aromatic, red-colored, and round-shaped with a hard texture and small size (Madureira et al 2019), and known worldwide for their nutritional value and taste (Lin et al 2019)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
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 call
