Carboxymethyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose-based coating emulsions incorporated with clove essential oil on postharvest kiwifruit preservation: A comparative research

Abstract

In this study, edible coating emulsions (ECEs) based on two types of food-grade cellulose with different ionic properties (anionic CMC and non-ionic HPMC) and different CEO concentrations were formulated, characterized, and applied as active edible coatings on kiwifruit during 21 days of storage at room temperature. The DLS analysis confirmed good dispersion and stability of the ECEs, while FTIR, XRD, SEM, and TGA evidenced strong biopolymer-oil interactions and improved thermal resistance. Antibacterial activities were notable, with inhibition zones of 26 ± 3.11 mm for CMC 1.5% and 26 ± 2.72 mm for HPMC 1.5% against Staphylococcus aureus, and 30 ± 3.25 and 17 ± 2.15 mm against Serratia marcescens, respectively, with significant improvements (p < 0.05) at higher component concentrations. Kiwifruits coated with the most effective formulation (HMPC) exhibited significantly improved quality attributes, with the lowest weight loss (9.20 %), highest firmness (1.55 kg.cm TA (1.50 %), and TPC (52 mg GAE g 1 1.5% 2 ), ), along with reduced decay incidence (10 %) compared to the control kiwifruits (p < 0.05). Sensory results also showed superior scores and better overall acceptability of HPMC 1.5%- coated fruits.