Active Edible Polysaccharide-Based Coating for Preservation of Fresh Figs (Ficus carica L.)

Abstract

Fresh figs are very sensitive to microbial spoilage, even in cold storage conditions. Thus, fresh figs are high perishable products during postharvest with microbiological decay that induces an unpleasant taste and smell due to rot, and suitable conservation methods must therefore be applied. The fruit usually is consumed fresh locally, dried, or preserved longer term in other transformed forms. A sustainable approach to extend the shelf-life of figs can be constituted by application of an edible coating able to maintain the quality of the fruit during storage. A comparison between fresh figs in a commercial preservation system, with the figs preserved in an edible coating, and an active edible coating to preserve their quality characteristics was carried out. The coating efficacy was enhanced with the addition of pomegranate peel extract at two different concentrations. The inclusion of a component with high antioxidant activity in an edible coating proved to be an excellent method for preserving the quality of this highly perishable fruit. The application of natural products, obtained from renewable sources, represents a simple and economic strategy, but also a tool capable of preserving the quality of the fruit during the postharvest storage, which is often consumed in production areas due to shelf-life problems.