Biowaste-Derived Chitosan Nanocomposite Coatings For The Preservation Of Banana

Abstract

The short shelf life of bananas is a major constraint in their storage and distribution. The current research put forward a “wealth from waste” concept to help the local farmers, exporters, and distributors to protect the bananas from fast decay and to benefit the consumer. Herein, an active chitosan-based nanocomposite coating has been developed purely from biosources to enhance the postharvest shelf life of bananas. Cellulose nanofibers (CNF) isolated from garlic skin, along with nanocurcumin derived from raw curcumin, have been used as nanofillers in the chitosan coating formulation. The isolated cellulose nanofibers (CNF) were chemically and morphologically characterized. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images of the coating films showed that chitosan/CNF/nanocurcumin coating films have nanocomposite topology. The antimicrobial activity of coating films was analyzed, and remarkable antimicrobial capabilities against E. coli have been recorded for chitosan/CNF/nanocurcumin coatings, especially with 0.1 % nanocurcumin content. The physiochemical properties of the banana coated with different compositions of coating formulations were tested, such as weight loss analysis, titratable acidity (TA), total soluble solids (TSS), and pH. The chitosan/CNF/nanocurcumin coating reduced the weight loss percentage of bananas and retained their physiochemical attributes. High level of TA value and low TSS build-up rate were reported for chitosan/CNF/nanocurcumin-coated bananas. The antibacterial activity of nanocurcumin and the gas barrier effect of nanocomposite structuring in chitosan have contributed to the extended shelf life of coated bananas. The shelf life of the coated banana was extended by 8 days compared to the uncoated banana, which over-ripened in 3 days. This coating technique not only extends the shelf life of bananas but also provides an efficient waste management system in the agro-industry, converting large amounts of biowaste into useful products. Graphical Abstract: Preparation and mode of action of bio-derived chitosan/CNF/nanocurcumin coating over banana[Figure not available: see fulltext.]. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.