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- Antimicrobial activity of different nanocellulose films embedded with thyme, cinnamon, and oregano essential oils for active packaging application on raspberriesPublication . Casalini, Sara; Baschetti, Marco G.; Cappelletti, Martina; Guerreiro, Adriana; Gago, Custódia; Nici, Silvia; Antunes, Maria DulceThe study focuses on the antimicrobial activity of nanocellulose films (NFC) embedded with thyme, cinnamon, and oregano essential oils for active packaging application. The activity against model pathogenic bacteria was first tested to obtain each oil's minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The tests showed that the surface area of the films and the quantity of essential oil strongly influenced the antimicrobial effect. Then, the different active packaging systems were tested directly on packed raspberries to study their actual commercial packaging conditions. Through 12 days of storage at 1 & DEG;C, it was observed that thyme and oregano essential oils were more effective in maintaining the firmness and reducing the weight loss of the fruits compared to cinnamon essential oil or the control; no significant effect was observed on the other quality parameters that were considered. The essential oils independently proved effective in preventing fungal growth. However, the combined impact of thyme+oregano (NAP_TO) demonstrated the best performance.
- Biodegradable active packaging enriched with essential oils for enhancing the shelf life of strawberriesPublication . Rusková, Magdaléna; Opálková Šišková, Alena; Mosnáčková, Katarína; Gago, Custódia; Guerreiro, Adriana; Bučková, Mária; Puškárová, Andrea; Pangallo, Domenico; Antunes, Maria DulceThe strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) is a nutrient-rich fruit with high content of healthbeneficial compounds. However, strawberries are susceptible to mechanical damage and microbiological contamination which can cause changes in fruit sensory properties. These changes consequently effect on ripening and shelf life of the strawberry. In recent years, essential oils (EOs) have been famous for their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties and are promising ecological alternatives to chemical antimicrobial substances. Nowadays, active packaging is one of several techniques developed for slowing down the metabolic processes of fresh fruits. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is one of the several polymers suitable for encapsulation EOs, whereas at the same time represent non-toxic, biodegradable, and compostable polymer derived from renewable resources. Suitable packaging prolongs the shelf life of fruit, keeps the products at the highest possible nutrition level, improves quality, and attracts customer attention. In the current study, we encapsulated EOs (lemongrass and oregano) into a PLA and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) packaging film and explored their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Moreover, biochemical and quality parameters for strawberry preservation and shelf-life extension were also assessed. Our tested active packaging film with EOs was proven to be useful for postharvest quality maintenance and shelf-life extension of strawberries, with PLA/PHB/ATBC + 5% lemongrass EO being slightly better than PLA/PHB/ATBC + 5% oregano EO.