Abstract
Fruits and vegetables, renowned for their substantial nutritional content and health-enhancing attributes, are increasingly sought after. However, their susceptibility to postharvest physiological and metabolic degradation limits their consumption. Pomegranate, a superfruit consumed for its health-giving properties, is particularly vulnerable to rapid deterioration due to its high moisture content, especially the pomegranate arils. This significant postharvest loss necessitates the development of effective preservation strategies for pomegranate arils. One promising approach involves the valorization of processing waste, such as raspberry pomace extracts, as a natural preservative in edible coatings. This study, therefore, aimed to develop a multifunctional edible coating using Aloe ferox gel incorporated with raspberry pomace extract to enhance the quality of pomegranate arils.
The first objective was to encapsulate raspberry pomace by freeze-drying using gum Arabic and mucilage from Opuntia ficus-indica individually and combined as wall material. Techno-functional attributes, phytochemical composition, and antioxidant activities of the encapsulated raspberry pomace were assessed. The results showed that the mucilage and gum Arabic considerably improved the stability of raspberry pomace extracts, with properties suitable for prospective applications in the food and nutraceutical sectors.
The second objective of this study was to develop an efficient edible coating utilizing Aloe ferox gel (AF) combined with an encapsulated raspberry pomace and assess its effectiveness in preserving the quality of Pomegranate arils (cv. Kessari) during storage. The mucilage-encapsulated raspberry powder selected from the first objective was incorporated with 3% Aloe ferox gel to form a coating and was used to coat pomegranate arils. The coatings were formulated using different concentrations of encapsulated raspberry pomace powder (ERPP) (0.3% and 0.6%) and Aloe ferox alone and applied on pomegranate arils. The arils coated with AF incorporated with ERRP (0.3%) successfully maintained the quality of pomegranate arils, followed by the arils coated with AF alone. The coating with AF+ERPP (0.3%) also extended the shelf life of pomegranate arils by 3 days. This indicated that this method could be employed in the food sector to maintain the nutritional attributes and shelf life of ready-to-eat fruits without sacrificing the fruit's quality.
The research concluded that an Aloe ferox-based edible coating integrated with encapsulated raspberry pomace is an effective method for preserving arils. This approach not only mitigates food waste but also encourages the use of by-products from the food industries.
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Future investigations are advised to assess the commercial feasibility of this coating and its potential for preserving other perishable fruits, thereby promoting sustainable practices in the food sector.