{"title":"Psyllium–kojic acid coatings modulate antioxidant metabolism and delay quality deterioration in ready-to-eat pomegranate arils during cold storage","authors":"Maryam M. Alomran, Emad H. Khedr","doi":"10.1186/s40538-026-01054-3","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The rapid deterioration of ready-to-eat pomegranate arils during cold storage remains a major challenge limiting their commercial distribution and consumer acceptance. This study evaluated the effectiveness of psyllium (PSY) and kojic acid (KA), applied individually or in combination (PSY + KA), as natural coating agents for preserving quality, extending storage life, and suppressing microbial growth in minimally processed pomegranate arils during cold storage.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Pomegranate arils coated with PSY + KA and stored at 4 ± 1 °C and 90–95% relative humidity for 12 days exhibited superior preservation compared with untreated and individually treated samples. The combined coating showed favorable barrier properties, creating a modified internal atmosphere that supported quality retention. PSY + KA-treated arils maintained significantly higher antioxidant capacity, reflected by enhanced DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities, together with increased activities of antioxidant enzymes (ascorbate peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase) and key phenylpropanoid pathway enzymes (phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase, cinnamate-4-hydroxylase, 4-coumarate-CoA ligase, cinnamoyl-CoA reductase, and caffeic acid <i>O</i>-methyltransferase). These biochemical responses were associated with enhanced phenolic metabolism, reduced oxidative stress, delayed senescence, and improved preservation of color, nutritional quality, and sensory attributes. Moreover, PSY + KA reduced microbial proliferation by more than 30% compared with the control, demonstrating an antimicrobial effect.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The combined PSY + KA coating effectively enhanced the postharvest quality and storage stability of minimally processed pomegranate arils by improving barrier properties, stimulating antioxidant and phenylpropanoid metabolism, mitigating oxidative stress, delaying senescence, and suppressing microbial growth. These findings highlight PSY + KA as a promising natural coating strategy for extending the shelf life and maintaining the marketability of ready-to-eat pomegranate arils.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":512,"journal":{"name":"Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8000,"publicationDate":"2026-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s40538-026-01054-3.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40538-026-01054-3","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"AGRICULTURE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
The rapid deterioration of ready-to-eat pomegranate arils during cold storage remains a major challenge limiting their commercial distribution and consumer acceptance. This study evaluated the effectiveness of psyllium (PSY) and kojic acid (KA), applied individually or in combination (PSY + KA), as natural coating agents for preserving quality, extending storage life, and suppressing microbial growth in minimally processed pomegranate arils during cold storage.
Results
Pomegranate arils coated with PSY + KA and stored at 4 ± 1 °C and 90–95% relative humidity for 12 days exhibited superior preservation compared with untreated and individually treated samples. The combined coating showed favorable barrier properties, creating a modified internal atmosphere that supported quality retention. PSY + KA-treated arils maintained significantly higher antioxidant capacity, reflected by enhanced DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities, together with increased activities of antioxidant enzymes (ascorbate peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase) and key phenylpropanoid pathway enzymes (phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase, cinnamate-4-hydroxylase, 4-coumarate-CoA ligase, cinnamoyl-CoA reductase, and caffeic acid O-methyltransferase). These biochemical responses were associated with enhanced phenolic metabolism, reduced oxidative stress, delayed senescence, and improved preservation of color, nutritional quality, and sensory attributes. Moreover, PSY + KA reduced microbial proliferation by more than 30% compared with the control, demonstrating an antimicrobial effect.
Conclusions
The combined PSY + KA coating effectively enhanced the postharvest quality and storage stability of minimally processed pomegranate arils by improving barrier properties, stimulating antioxidant and phenylpropanoid metabolism, mitigating oxidative stress, delaying senescence, and suppressing microbial growth. These findings highlight PSY + KA as a promising natural coating strategy for extending the shelf life and maintaining the marketability of ready-to-eat pomegranate arils.
期刊介绍：
Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture is an international, interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed forum for the advancement and application to all fields of agriculture of modern chemical, biochemical and molecular technologies. The scope of this journal includes chemical and biochemical processes aimed to increase sustainable agricultural and food production, the evaluation of quality and origin of raw primary products and their transformation into foods and chemicals, as well as environmental monitoring and remediation. Of special interest are the effects of chemical and biochemical technologies, also at the nano and supramolecular scale, on the relationships between soil, plants, microorganisms and their environment, with the help of modern bioinformatics. Another special focus is the use of modern bioorganic and biological chemistry to develop new technologies for plant nutrition and bio-stimulation, advancement of biorefineries from biomasses, safe and traceable food products, carbon storage in soil and plants and restoration of contaminated soils to agriculture.
This journal presents the first opportunity to bring together researchers from a wide number of disciplines within the agricultural chemical and biological sciences, from both industry and academia. The principle aim of Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture is to allow the exchange of the most advanced chemical and biochemical knowledge to develop technologies which address one of the most pressing challenges of our times - sustaining a growing world population.
Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture publishes original research articles, short letters and invited reviews. Articles from scientists in industry, academia as well as private research institutes, non-governmental and environmental organizations are encouraged.
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