Physicochemical, Morphological, and Functional Characterization of Edible Anthocyanin-Enriched Aloevera Coatings on Fresh Figs (Ficus carica L.)

Abstract

In the present investigation, aloe vera gel (AVG)-based edible coatings enriched with anthocyanin were prepared. We investigated the effect of different formulations of aloe-vera-based edible coatings, such as neat AVG (T1), AVG with glycerol (T2), aloe vera with 0.2% anthocyanin + glycerol (T3), and AVG with 0.5% anthocyanin + glycerol (T4), on the postharvest quality of fig (Ficus carica L.) fruits under refrigerated conditions (4 °C) for up to 12 days of storage with 2-day examination intervals. The results of the present study revealed that the T4 treatment was the most effective for reducing the weight loss in fig fruits throughout the storage period (~4%), followed by T3, T2, and T1. The minimum weight loss after 12 days of storage (3.76%) was recorded for the T4 treatment, followed by T3 (4.34%), which was significantly higher than that of uncoated fruit (~11%). The best quality attributes, such as the total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), and pH, were also demonstrated by the T3 and T4 treatments. The T4 coating caused a marginal change of 0.16 in the fruit titratable acidity, compared to the change of 0.33 in the untreated fruit control after 12 days of storage at 4 °C. Similarly, the total soluble solids in the T4-coated fruits increased marginally (0.43 °Brix) compared to the uncoated control fruits (>2 °Brix) after 12 days of storage at 4 °C. The results revealed that the incorporation of anthocyanin content into AVG is a promising technology for the development of active edible coatings to extend the shelf life of fig fruits.

Effect of Composite Chitosan/Sodium Alginate Gel Coatings on the Quality of Fresh-Cut Purple-Flesh Sweet Potato

“…After 16 days of storage, TSS was highest in CON (21.3 o Brix) and lowest in ChCSA (14.3 o Brix). Chitosan- and alginate-based coatings were observed to inhibit metabolic and hydrolytic reactions associated with TSS increase in various fruits, including Chinese winter jujube, longan, and fig fruits [ 27 , 40 , 41 , 42 ].Thus, low TSS in ChCSA-coated samples could be attributed to the effective combination of Ch and SA, which reduced metabolic reactions and retarded polysaccharides breakdown processes [ 13 ].…”

Editorial for Special Issue: Gel Films and Coatings Applied in Active Food Packaging

“…Al Hilifi et al [ 9 ] developed aloe vera gel (AVG)-based edible coatings enriched with anthocyanin and investigated the effect of different formulations of these aloe-vera-based edible coatings, such as neat AVG (T1), AVG with glycerol (T2), aloe vera with 0.2% anthocyanin + glycerol (T3), and AVG with 0.5% anthocyanin + glycerol (T4), on the postharvest quality of fig (Ficus carica L.) fruits under refrigerated conditions (4 °C) for up to 12 days of storage with 2-day examination intervals. The results of the present study revealed that the T4 treatment was the most effective for reducing the weight loss in the fig fruits throughout the storage period (~4%), followed by T3, T2, and T1.…”

Characterization of a Clove Essential Oil Slow-Release Microencapsulated Composite Film and Its Preservation Effects on Blueberry

“…Abdalla et al added Sicilian lemon essential oil with antimicrobial properties to films and coatings from pectin and chitosan for strawberry preservation packaging . Al-Hilifi et al added natural antioxidant anthocyanins to aloe vera gel coating for freshness packaging of fig fruits . Zhou et al modified chitosan using glycidyl trimethylammonium, which has antimicrobial properties, and dihydroxy benzaldehyde, a natural polyphenol antioxidant, to prepare quaternate catechol-functionalized chitosan that can be used as a coating material for fruits .…”

“… 11 Al-Hilifi et al added natural antioxidant anthocyanins to aloe vera gel coating for freshness packaging of fig fruits. 12 Zhou et al modified chitosan using glycidyl trimethylammonium, which has antimicrobial properties, and dihydroxy benzaldehyde, a natural polyphenol antioxidant, to prepare quaternate catechol-functionalized chitosan that can be used as a coating material for fruits. 13 Plant essential oils are natural antibacterial and antioxidant substances.…”