Microbial Control in White Cactus Pear With Biopolymeric Coating of Chitosan, Candelilla Wax and Thyme Essential Oil

Abstract

White cactus pear (Opuntia albicarpa L.) undergoes decay by pathogens in postharvest, which limits its shelf life. The objective of this study was to evaluate coatings based on chitosan (Q), candelilla (Euphorbia antisyphilitica Zucc.) wax (Cw) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) essential oil (Eo) to reduce microbial development on the cactus pear and increase shelf life. Emulsions based on Q, Eo, and Q+Eo were applied on freshly harvested cactus pear fruits, which were stored for 18 days at 22 ºC. Treatments with Q also incorporated Cw. Controls were uncoated fruits (Ct). Microbial inhibition was assessed through bacterial counting in culture plate, in addition to the appearance of the fruit on a visual scale 1 to 5, where 1 corresponded to appalling and 5 to excellent. Fruits with the Q+Eo treatment had an appearance close to 4 at the end of the storage, followed by those with Q, Eo, and T, which obtained a score of 1. The lowest weight loss occurred when Cw was used. With a coating of Q (2 %), Eo (2000 ppm) and Cw (5 %) microbial growth was reduced by 98.4 %, allowing a shelf life of at least 18 days at 22 ºC, with good appearance and low weight loss in fruits.

Shelf life of pitaya [ Stenocereus pruinosus Otto ex Pfeiff.) Buxb.] fruit affected by temperature and guar gum, beeswax, oleic acid, and thyme essential oil coatings

“…In prickly pear (Opuntia albicarpa L.; Cactaceae) fruits, weight loss between 5 and 7% was found using chitosan and candelilla wax (Valle-Ortiz et al 2019).…”

“…Besides, coatings can serve as a vehicle for incorporating active agents that help reduce transpiration and prevent microorganism proliferation (Rives-Castillo et al 2018). In other cacti fruit, biopolymeric coatings with essential oils have proven to be an effective strategy to minimize microbial development and lengthen the postharvest life (Valle-Ortiz et al 2019). In this context, the objective was to apply biopolymeric coatings to extend the shelf life of pitaya fruits at 25 °C and under refrigeration at 12 °C.…”

Development and optimization of cactus pear fruit jelly supplemented with Moringa oleifera leaf extract

“…Cactus pear ( Opuntia ficus-indica ) is the most widely known fruit of prickly pear, being characterized by a thin-skinned fruit with a juicy consistency and sweet pulp ( Valdez-Cepeda et al., 2014 ; Cruz-bravo et al., 2019 ). It is native to Mexico that has spread worldwide and cultivated in marginal agricultural lands with low water availability in arid and semi-arid areas of different countries including Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Bolivia (America); Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and Syria (Middle East, Asia); Ethiopia, Algeria, South Africa, Tunisia and Morocco (Africa); Spain, Italy and Portugal (Europe), and in Australia (Oceania) ( Valle-ortiz et al., 2019 ; Zegbe, 2020 ). Cactus pear fruit is highly appreciated worldwide for its active nutrients and multifunctional properties ( Monroy-Gutierrez et al., 2017 ).…”

“…In Ethiopia and other parts of the world, cactus pear fruit is mostly consumed fresh as a result, it is prone to postharvest loss due to fungal and bacterial proliferation that leads the fruit to decay and deteriorate rapidly (both in appearance and quality) within a few days at ambient storage conditions and limit its marketability ( Valle-ortiz et al., 2019 ). In Ethiopia, the cactus pear fruits are produced in a tremendous amount in the Tigray region where it serves as a source of food and income particularly for the low-income householdes.…”

Release kinetics modeling and fungal control potential of encapsulated thyme (Thymus vulgaris) essential oil

“…esencial de toronja a una concentración de 100 mL m -3 en un sistema de atmósfera modificada que permitió mantener la calidad de las rodajas de hongos durante 12 d.El uso de aceites esenciales para reducir el crecimiento microbiano se basa normalmente en el contacto directo a través de recubrimientos biopoliméricos, pero los resultados de este trabajo mostraron que el uso de vapores con liberación controlada se puede realizar mediante encapsulado. Al respecto, un análisis de liberación basado en la Ecuación (13), con los parámetros del sistema AlgNa/ CaCl 2 /t-1.0/0.8/10min mostró que la concentración de Eo en el espacio de cabeza que se requiere para causar inhibición fue menor de 100 mL m -3 , que contrasta con las concentraciones que deben utilizarse con recubrimientos biopoliméricos, fluctuando entre 500 y 1000 mL m -3(Valle- Ortiz et al, 2019), indicando que la liberación de aceites esenciales de sistemas de encapsulado constituye una mejor estrategia para controlar el desarrollo de hongos.Actualmente, la evidencia del uso de aceites esenciales para reducir las pérdidas causadas por el desarrollo microbiano es cada vez mayor. Sin embargo, es necesario atender varios aspectos para mejorar el potencial de uso de dichas sustancias en la conservación de productos hortícolas.…”