Review of packaging for improving storage quality of fresh edible mushrooms

Abstract

Edible mushrooms are favoured by people for their rich nutrition, medicinal value and unique flavour. The quality of postharvest mushroom decreased sharply because of its special tissue structure and physiological characteristics. Compared with other preservation technologies, packaging has been widely used in the preservation of mushrooms because of its strong preservation effect, green and convenient characteristic. This review discussed the quality deterioration of fresh mushrooms and its influencing factors, and summarised the research advances and preservation mechanism of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), active packaging (ACP), biodegradable film packaging (BFP) and nanocomposite packaging (NCP) used to cope with the quality deterioration of fresh mushrooms. The packaging mainly maintains the quality of mushrooms and extends their shelf life by exerting antibacterial, antiviral and antioxidant, and by regulating respiration and energy metabolism, cell wall metabolism and membrane lipid metabolism. Currently, the combined packaging based on nano, active and biodegradable is getting more attention, but there is a lack of in-depth genetic research on its preservation mechanism. Nanoemulsion-based packaging was used in many foods; however, there is little research on the preservation of mushrooms. Based on the above packaging, the next step is to explore the intelligent packaging for edible mushrooms. This review can provide reference for further research and application of packaging preservation in mushrooms, to improve the quality of postharvest mushrooms.

Mechanisms of Action and Preservation Effects of Packaging Systems for Mushrooms: Novel Approaches to Preserve Irish Edible Mushrooms

“…Desirable techno-functional properties of packaging materials such as permeability and mechanical and thermal properties [44] play a key role in maintaining quality by preventing off-flavour development, contamination, browning, and softening, thereby extending the shelf life of mushrooms [29,45]. Studies have shown that modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) stands first in terms of frequency of use for edible mushrooms, followed by active packaging, biodegradable film packaging, and nanopackaging systems based on a review of 235 articles on mushroom preservation techniques published between 2010 and 2021 [29] (Figure 1).…”

“…Nanopackaging minimizes tissue aging, electrical conductivity, and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by controlling the energy metabolism and enzymatic activity of mushrooms [29]. MAP lowers the rate of respiratory metabolism, thereby reducing the loss of cell wall components and cell swelling [62].…”

“…To identify new sources of anti-tyrosinase compounds, research has been performed on the tyrosinase inhibitory activity of several plant extracts [61,79], and all significantly inhibited tyrosinase activity. Nanopackaging minimizes tissue aging, electrical conductivity, and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by controlling the energy metabolism and enzymatic activity of mushrooms [29]. MAP lowers the rate of respiratory metabolism, thereby reducing the loss of cell wall components and cell swelling [62].…”

“…Nanoparticles incorporated in films can increase the shelf life of fresh produce by regulating the exchange of gases across the films. Nanopackaging can prevent oxidative damage and aging in mushrooms by lowering the respiration rate and ethylene synthesis, thereby preserving high levels of ATP and energy metabolism in cells [29,53]. Studies have shown that nanocomposite packaging materials containing nanoparticles of silver, titanium, and silicon can effectively postpone the degradation of membrane lipids, decrease POD activity, tyrosinase activity, and reactive oxygen in mushrooms [53,130,141].…”

“…These effects involve physicochemical quality degradation, including cap opening, loss of essential phenolic compounds, proteins, and vitamins, water loss, cell membrane deterioration, loss of firmness, and increased microbial activity in the process of storage and transportation [20,21], in turn leading to loss of nutritional value, flavor, market acceptability value, and shelf life. Recent findings have reported a wide range of preservation techniques for fresh mushrooms, including irradiation [22], ultrasonication [22], pulsed eclectic field treatment [23,24], [25,26], 1-methylcyclopropene treatment [27], modified atmosphere packaging, active packaging, edible coatings and nanopackaging [1,15,[28][29][30][31], and biodegradable packaging made from materials such as dextran/chitosan [32].…”