Impact of Turcz leaf water extracts on the properties of gelatin-carrageenan edible film and its application in cherry tomatoes storage.

This study investigated the potential of enhancing edible film (EF) formulations by incorporating Turcz leaf (PM) water extracts (PMWE) and glycerol as plasticizers. Incorporating 75 % PMWE and 5 % glycerol significantly improved the physicochemical and mechanical properties of the films while effectively preserving the quality indicators and extending the shelf-life of cherry tomatoes (CT; Mill) in film and coating applications. The PMWE-based films and coatings reduced decay rates (from 80 to 36-52 %) and exhibited a statistically significant difference ( < 0.05) compared to the control group. These findings highlight the potential of PMWE as an effective ingredient in EF formulations, capable of extending shelf-life to 12-16 days, offering promising applications in packaging materials. However, further advancements are required to address the limitations and enable large-scale trials during the mass production stage. Expecting to achieve optimized process formulations and conditions for CT or other agricultural product packaging materials.