Effect of A Moringa Oil–Beeswax Edible Coating on the Shelf-Life and Quality of Fresh Cucumber

Abstract

Cucumbers are a popular vegetable consumed worldwide and are known for their nutritional value, containing carbohydrates, antioxidants, vitamin C, etc. The abundance of a high moisture content is correlated to cucumber perishability, which encourages investigation into ways to maintain its quality and increase shelf-life. This study was carried out to determine the effect of a moringa oil–beeswax coating on the quality of fresh cucumber at different storage temperatures for 27 days of storage. Freshly harvested cucumbers were divided into two groups: the first group was coated with the moringa oil–beeswax edible coating, while the other one was not coated (control). Each group was divided into three other subgroups, for storage at 4, 10, and 22 °C. Different quality parameters, including weight loss, color change, firmness, total soluble solid (TSS), vitamin C, and pH, were evaluated. The findings showed that the weight loss of cucumber was highly increased in non-coated samples stored at high temperature. After 27 days of storage, the highest and lowest weight reduction % were recorded for non-coated cucumbers stored at 22 °C (38.09%) and moringa oil–beeswax-coated cucumbers stored at 10 °C (12.35%), respectively. Color analysis revealed that coating had a significant impact on color values, with distinct patterns in lightness, redness-greenness, and yellowness values for both treatments at various temperatures and days. The lightness values showed minimal fluctuations and stabilized at 13.65 at both 4 °C and 10 °C. Temperature and coating had a significant impact on pH levels, with the coating potentially exhibiting a protective effect on pH stability, particularly at lower temperatures (4 °C). Additionally, both groups’ total acidity levels held steady over time and at various temperatures, with the coating having a highly significant effect on total acidity levels. The amount of vitamin C varied significantly with temperature and storage period, but the coating did not affect vitamin C content. At 22 °C, there were notable variations in the vitamin C content over the storage period, with a final value of 37.7 mg/L on coated samples. Temperature and the duration of storage (p < 0.05) had a significant impact on the levels of total soluble solids (TSS), whereas firmness values changed significantly over the storage period only. Moringa oil–beeswax edible coating has the potential to preserve the nutritional value and quality attributes of cucumber.