Nanocomposite edible coating from cassava starch, stearic acid and ZnO nanoparticles to maintain quality of fresh-cut mango cv. Arumanis

Abstract

Fresh-cut mango is one of perishable food products due to its high respiration, transpiration and microbial decay rate. In this study, generation of a new edible coating was chosen as an alternative method for preserving the quality attributes of fresh-cut mango. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of nanocomposite edible coating from cassava starch (SC), stearic acid (SA) and/or ZnO nanoparticles (NP-ZnO) on the quality of fresh-cut mango cv. Arumanis, stored for 12 days at 8°C. The formulations of 20 g/L SC, 6 g/L SA, and variable NP-ZnO (0, 1, 2% w/w of SC) were utilized to coat the fresh-cut mango. The result revealed that the treatment of nanocomposite edible coating was able to maintain the quality of fresh-cut mango during the storage periods. The SC, SA, and 2% NP-ZnO formulation was the most effective in reducing weight loss and microbial counts. Our study suggests that the application of nanocomposite edible coating provides a desirable method to maintain storage quality and to improve fresh-cut mango postharvest life.

Keywords

• mango
• fresh-cut
• nanocomposite
• ZnO nanoparticles
• edible coating