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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Citrus and Other Subtropical Products Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #391695
Research Project: Determination of Flavor and Healthful Benefits of Florida-Grown Fruits and Vegetables and Development of Postharvest Treatments to Optimize Shelf Life an Quality for Their Fresh and Processed Products

Location: Citrus and Other Subtropical Products Research

Title: Edible coatings from Opuntia ficus-indica cladodes alongside chitosan on quality and antioxidants in cherries during storage

Author
item CHRISTOPOULOS, MILTIADIS - Hellenic Agricultural Organization – Demeter
item GKATZOS, DIMITRIOS - Hellenic Agricultural Organization – Demeter
item KAFKALETOU, MINA - Agricultural University Of Athens
item Bai, Jinhe
item FANOURAKIS, DIMITRIOS - Hellenic Agricultural Organization – Demeter
item TSANIKLIDIS, GIORGOS - Hellenic Agricultural Organization – Demeter
item TSANTILI, ELENI - Agricultural University Of Athens

Submitted to: Foods
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/24/2022
Publication Date: 2/26/2022
Citation: Christopoulos, ., Gkatzos, D., Kafkaletou, M., Bai, J., Fanourakis, D., Tsaniklidis, G., Tsantili, E. 2022. Edible coatings from Opuntia ficus-indica cladodes alongside chitosan on quality and antioxidants in cherries during storage. Foods. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11050699.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11050699

Interpretive Summary: The use of raw materials from plant residues is desirable, while Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) cladodes are rich in dietary fibers, calcium, potassium, carbohydrates and polyphenols. Edible coating containing OFI cladodes extracts was applied to fresh cherries, and the fruit quality and nutritions were determined during fruit storage. The coatings reduced weight loss and respiration rate, and loss of antioxidants. OFI coatings improved cherry quality and extended storage life by at least one week, without any negative effect among the determined variables.

Technical Abstract: The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of ECs prepared from extracts of Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) cladodes in parallel with a commercial chitosan formulation on cherry quality during 28 d storage (1oC, 90% RH) packaged in macro-perforated bags. The coating concentrations were 25% and 50% aqueous OFI extract, 1% OFI alcohol insoluble polysaccharide and 1% chitosan. The variables evaluated included weight loss (WL), respiration rates (RR), peel color, firmness, microbial decay, total antioxidants (phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, antioxidant capacity), individual phenolic compounds (anthocyanins, hydroxycinnamic acids, flavan-3-O-ols), and pedicel removal force and browning. The main results showed that all coatings reduced WL and RR similarly, enhanced firmness throughout storage and antioxidants after 14 d storage against controls, while decay was slightly developed in all samples. Among treatments, chitosan resulted in considerably increased peel glossiness and firmness, in contrast to moderate firmness increase by coatings from OFI extracts, but also in severe pedicel browning against the slight and similar results of browning by OFI extracts, which also exhibited no negative effect. Therefore, OFI extracts are promising ECs for cherry storage since they improved quality and extended storage life by one week against controls.