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The development of new edible coatings with improved functionality and performance for fresh and minimally processed fruits is one of the challenges of the post harvest industry. In the past few years, research efforts have focused on the design of new eco-friendly coatings based on biodegradable polymers, which not only reduce the requirements of packaging but also lead to the conversion of by-products of the food industry into value added film-forming components. This work reviews the different coating formulations and applications available at present, as well as the main results of the most recent investigations carried out on the topic. Traditionally, edible coatings have been used as a barrier to minimize water loss and delay the natural senescence of coated fruits through selective permeability to gases. However, the new generation of edible coatings is being especially designed to allow the incorporation and/or controlled release of antioxidants, vitamins, nutraceuticals, and natural antimicrobial agents by means of the application of promising technologies such as nanoencapsulation and the layer-by-layer assembly.

Antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of essential oils have previously been extensively reviewed. The mechanisms of action of essential oils have not been clearly identified but they seem to be related with their hydrophobic nature. Applying these natural compounds in the food industry could be a potential alternative, but its application costs and other problems, such as their intense aroma and potential toxicity, limit their use in the area of food preservation. An interesting strategy to reduce doses of essential oils while maintaining their effectiveness could be the incorporation of these natural compounds into edible/biodegradable films. This review discusses the use of essential oils as natural antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds to obtain bioactive films or coatings. The advantages and limitations are also reviewed.

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No effect of coatings was observed in the development of these variables. A decrease of clarity and hue values was observed during storage; the samples coated with the greatest 20 amount of propolis being the lightest. The hue decrease was related with the a* colour coordinate increase, which was significantly more accused for uncoated samples.Regardless of their composition, coatings slowed down the weight losses and controlled the oxygen consumption of the samples. At 10 days of storage, coated samples maintained a better microbial safety than uncoated samples. Although no significant 25 *Manuscript Click here to view linked References effect of the propolis incorporation was observed on the preservation of grape quality during storage, its incorporation in the HPMC coatings contributes to enrich the health characteristics of the coated product.

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