Rodrigues Carolina, Polesca Cariny, Bicalho Isabela, Souza Victor Gomes Lauriano, Coelhoso Isabel, Fernando Ana Luísa
MEtRICs, Departamento de Química, NOVA School of Science and Technology (NOVA FCT), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Campus de Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.
CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
Foods. 2025 Jan 8;14(2):161. doi: 10.3390/foods14020161.
Prickly pear consumption is increasing across the world due to its rich variety of nutrients and bioactive compounds. Yet, it is a seasonal and highly perishable fruit, and the application of edible coatings emerges as an alternative to extend its shelf life. In this work, the effects of alginate, starch, chitosan, and pectin as coatings on the physicochemical, bioactive, microbiological, and textural properties of two prickly pear varieties (orange and red), kept under refrigeration (5 ± 2 °C) were evaluated for 6 weeks. Coatings proved to be helpful in the maintenance of the fruits' color and textural properties, especially when pectin was applied. Overall, starch and chitosan can be considered the most effective coatings in preserving the quality of prickly pears among the options studied. A lower weight loss (8-10%) in fruits was achieved when starch and chitosan were applied, while in control fruits (without coating), the loss was 18-23%. Starch and chitosan also contributed to preserving the bioactivity of red fruits and showed good results in the preservation of total phenolic content in the orange fruits. In addition, starch and chitosan coatings also presented the best performance for the reduction of microbial contamination (both yeasts and molds and total mesophilic aerobic microorganisms). These findings highlight the role of edible coatings in preserving prickly pears, for a longer period, meeting consumers' demand for fresh fruit.
由于其丰富的营养成分和生物活性化合物，全球对仙人掌果的消费量正在增加。然而，它是一种季节性且极易腐烂的水果，应用可食用涂层成为延长其保质期的一种选择。在这项研究中，评估了藻酸盐、淀粉、壳聚糖和果胶作为涂层对冷藏（5±2°C）条件下两种仙人掌果品种（橙色和红色）的理化、生物活性、微生物和质地特性的影响，为期6周。结果证明涂层有助于保持水果的颜色和质地特性，尤其是在使用果胶时。总体而言，在所研究的选项中，淀粉和壳聚糖可被认为是保存仙人掌果品质最有效的涂层。使用淀粉和壳聚糖时，水果的重量损失较低（8 - 10%），而未涂层的对照水果损失为18 - 23%。淀粉和壳聚糖还有助于保持红色水果的生物活性，并在保存橙色水果的总酚含量方面取得了良好效果。此外，淀粉和壳聚糖涂层在减少微生物污染（酵母菌和霉菌以及总嗜温需氧微生物）方面也表现出最佳性能。这些发现突出了可食用涂层在更长时间内保存仙人掌果方面的作用，满足了消费者对新鲜水果的需求。
