Effect of gum Arabic, xanthan and carrageenan coatings containing antimicrobial agent on postharvest quality of strawberry: Assessing the physicochemical, enzyme activity and bioactive properties

Effect of edible coatings of gum Arabic, carrageenan and xanthan gum containing lemon grass essential oil 1% w/ v on postharvest quality of strawberry was studied under refrigeration for a period of 12 days. Results showed all the three coatings maintained fruit quality parameters during storage compared to control. Among all the coatings, carrageenan coated fruits showed delayed weight loss (10.1 to 8%), decay percentage (78.42 to 14.29%), retained ascorbic acid (0.15 to 0.27 g kg(-1)), antioxidant activity (18.17 to 25.85%), firmness (9.07 to 12.43 N), L* (32.38 to 40.42), a* (16.08 to 17.22) and b* (27.36 to 33.54). Carrageenan gum also showed lowest cellulase activity (0.03 units h 1 mg protein 1), pectin methylesterase activity (1.13 A620 min 1 mg protein(-1)) and beta-galactosidase activity (0.51 mu mol min(-1) mg protein 1), while showed maximum reduction in polygalacturonase activity (0.07 units h(-1) mg protein (-1)) at the end of storage. Carrageenan gum was found effective in retention of anthocyanins and phenolic compounds during storage. Coatings loaded with antimicrobial agent inhibited psychrophilic bacteria, yeast and mold growth. It is concluded that carrageenan gum could better retain strawberry quality up to 12 days under refrigeration.

Automated summary

The study found that edible coatings containing lemon grass essential oil can effectively delay strawberry decay and maintain fruit quality parameters during storage. Among the coatings, carrageenan showed the best performance, reducing weight loss, decay percentage, and maintaining levels of ascorbic acid, antioxidant activity, and firmness.