Bitter almond gum-fish gelatin conjugate coatings extend the storage of button mushrooms

Abstract

Button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) have a short shelf-life due to high moisture content and lack of a protective layer, leading to browning and softening. This study aimed to investigate the effects of spraying different concentrations (1 %, 2 %, and 3 % w/v) of bitter almond gum: fish gelatin conjugate coating on the quality of fresh mushrooms during 20 d of cold storage. The results showed that the spray-coated samples maintained better quality parameters than uncoated samples during storage. SEM micrographs confirmed formation coating on the surface of mushrooms and improvement in the microstructure. Mushrooms treated with 2 % conjugate showed considerable improvement in firmness retention, reduced browning, and sensory indices. At the same time, mushrooms coated with 3 % conjugate effectively retained phenolic content, DPPH radical scavenging, and enzyme activities. Lower microbial counts were observed in proportion to coating concentrations. The principal component and hierarchical cluster analyses were conducted to illustrate the effects of variable and conjugate concentration on extending the shelf-life of mushrooms and categorize the samples based on their performance. This study suggests that using conjugate coating can be a practical solution for prolonging the shelf life of button mushrooms and may also be beneficial for improving the post-harvest quality of other fruits and vegetables.