Starch-Based Coatings for Preservation of Fruits and Vegetables

Abstract

Considerable research has focused on the control of the physiological activity of fruits and vegetables in postharvest conditions as well as microbial decay. The use of edible coatings (ECs) carrying active compounds (e.g., antimicrobials) represents an alternative preservation technology since they can modify the internal gas composition by creating a modified atmosphere through the regulation of the gas exchange (oxygen, carbon dioxide, volatiles) while also limiting water transfer. Of the edible polymers able to form coating films, starch exhibits several advantages, such as its ready availability, low cost and good filmogenic capacity, forming colourless and tasteless films with high oxygen barrier capacity. Nevertheless, starch films are highly water sensitive and exhibit limited water vapour barrier properties and mechanical resistance. Different compounds, such as plasticizers, surfactants, lipids or other polymers, have been incorporated to improve the functional properties of starch-based films/coatings. This paper reviews the starch-based ECs used to preserve the main properties of fruits and vegetables in postharvest conditions as well as the different factors affecting the coating efficiency, such as surface properties or incorporation of antifungal compounds. The great variability in the plant products requires specific studies to optimize the formulation of coating forming products.

Chitosan-Based Coating Enriched with Hairy Fig (Ficus hirta Vahl.) Fruit Extract for “Newhall” Navel Orange Preservation

“…Decay rate and weight loss are the main distinctly important indicators that affect the preservation effect of fresh fruit and vegetables, mainly due to postharvest diseases by pathogen infection, and the loss of water caused by transpiration [32,33]. Edible coatings provide a semi-permeable film around fruit, reducing disease incidence and depressing the rate of dehydration and respiration [28,34]. Coating "Newhall" navel oranges with CH-HFE is clearly effective in conferring a beneficial barrier to pathogen infection and water loss; thus, the decreased rate of fruit decay and weight loss in CH-HFE-coated fruit was evaluated during cold storage in this study.…”

Enhancement of PLA-PVA Surface Adhesion in Bilayer Assemblies by PLA Aminolisation

“…One possible strategy to obtain multilayer films is the casting of a polymeric solution on the surface of another polymeric layer support. This method requires a good extensibility of the solution on the polymeric film, which is greatly affected by the surface interactions of the polymer solution with the supporting polymer that, in turn, depends on the molecular interactions between the components in the solution and those on the contact surface (Sapper and Chiralt 2018). However, when using polymers with complementary properties, such as PVA and PLA, these are hydrophilic and hydrophobic in nature, respectively.…”

Edible coating quality with three types of starch and sorbitol plasticizer

“…The use of plasticizers, surfactants, lipids or other polymers in edible coatings are intended to improve the functional properties of starch-based films/coatings [12]. Sorbitol platisizers in composite films actually produce lower water vapor permeability and higher tensile strength [24].…”

“…The advantages of starch as the main material of edible coating are as an good oxygen barrier, because starch has a structure that is compact and has a low solubility [10,11]. The others advantages are ready availability, low cost, good filmogenic capacity, forming colorless and tasteless films [12]. Starch component which is used in the manufacture of edible coating is amylose.…”