The Effect of an Edible Coating with Tomato Oily Extract on the Physicochemical and Antioxidant Properties of Garambullo (Myrtillocactus geometrizans) Fruits

Abstract

The Myrtillocactus geometrizans (Mart. ex. Pfeiff.) fruit, locally called garambullo, is an important source of bioactive compounds, mainly betalains, polyphenols, and ascorbic acid. However, information on the application of post-harvest technologies that prolong the shelf life of the fruits is still insufficient. The objective of the present research was to evaluate the effect of a gelatin coating incorporating 0%, 1%, or 3% tomato oily extract (TOE), compared to a control (without coating), on the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of garambullo fruits stored for 15 days at 5 °C. The gelatin coatings with TOE significantly (p ≤ 0.05) delayed changes in weight loss, brix degrees, titratable acidity and pH, compared to the control during storage. Fruits coated with TOE-gelatin had a higher content of betalains, ascorbic acid, total phenols, and flavonoids. The results showed that a higher concentration of phytochemicals increased antioxidant activity in vitro; the maximum values found for Trolox equivalents per kg of fresh weight were 10.46 and 17.65 mM for the 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity Method (TEAC) tests, respectively. The gelatin coating with TOE-3% (COTE-3%) reduced water loss by 1.66 times, compared to the control. In addition, the fruits covered with COTE-3% showed the highest concentration of bioactive compounds during storage.