Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activity of Apricot (Mimusopsis comersonii) Phenolic-Rich Extract and Its Application as an Edible Coating for Fresh-Cut Vegetable Preservation

Abstract

Edible coatings have several advantages in preserving foods, such as avoiding water loss, controlling microbial growth, and reducing the need for preservatives added directly to the product. Antimicrobial action can be obtained by adding antimicrobial substances including phenolic compounds commonly found in plant extracts. This study evaluated the phenolic compounds content, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of pulp, and seed extracts of Mimusopsis comersonii (popularly known in Brazil as abrico), besides the phenolic compounds were identified and quantified in the pulp extract. Edible coatings were incorporated with pulp extract in order to evaluate the preservation of minimally processed apples and baroa potatoes against foodborne bacteria, and enzymatic browning was also determined. Myricetin-3-glucoside, quercetin-3-glucoside, and kaempferol-3-glucoside were identified as major flavonoids in the apricot pulp extract. The seed and pulp extracts inhibited all tested microorganisms, especially Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella Typhimurium. Edible coatings added with 9% of phenolic extract showed in vitro antimicrobial activity, in addition to being effective in preventing enzymatic browning in minimally processed apples and baroa potatoes for up to 15 days of storage. They were also effective in reducing up to 2 log CFU/g of aerobic mesophiles after 15 days of storage for apples, even though no microbial inhibition in baroa potatoes was observed under the same conditions. The addition of pulp phenolic extract in edible coatings proved to be an alternative in the preservation of apples and in the antibrowning activity of minimally processed baroa potatoes.

A View on the Chemical and Biological Attributes of Five Edible Fruits after Finishing Their Shelf Life: Studies on Caco-2 Cells

“…Also, a combination of citric acid, chlorogenic acid, isoquercitrin asparagine and epicatechin isolated from the ethanolic extracts of fruits of Prunus mume was very effective against the strains Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli [143]; furthermore, studies on the separate compounds have revealed that citric acid had a higher-ranking activity against all five bacteria in the study, chlorogenic acid inhibited four of the five bacteria studied, epicatechin inhibited Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes, while asparagine and isoquercitrin inhibited Listeria monocytogenes only [143]. Studies regarding the antioxidant activity of the products from apricots indicated a high antioxidant potency [136][137][138]144,145]; the decrease in the reactive oxygen species scavenging efficacy after processing apricot fruits has also been established [146]. Concerning the antitumor activity, the highest interest of today is upon the extracts from the kernels of apricots since they contain a very active antitumor compound named amygdalin [44,45,147].…”

Improving fresh‐cut fruit salad quality and longevity with chitosan coating enriched with poppy seed phenolics

“…Lima et al. ( 2022 ) also demonstrated that an apricot phenolic extract‐enhanced coating improved color quality and prevented oxidation in fresh‐cut vegetables. In a study by Pleșoianu and Nour ( 2022 ), pectin‐based coatings supplemented with anti‐browning agents effectively restricted adverse changes in color values in fresh‐cut pears, contributing to preserving fruit freshness and visual appeal.…”

“…Sathiyaseelan et al (2021) reported the effectiveness of an edible coating composed of chitosan-tea tree oil nanoemulsion and calcium chloride in preserving the color values of bell peppers. Lima et al (2022) Note: Different superscripts in the same column on the basis of fruit represent differences between sample groups according to Duncan's test (p < .05).…”