Preparation of preservation paper containing essential oil microemulsion and its application in maintain the quality of post-harvest peaches

Post-harvest peaches are highly susceptible to fungal infections leading to spoilage. This study investigates the utilization of three edible plant essential oils (EOs) with antifungal properties for the preservation of peaches, along with an evaluation of their preservative efficacy. Initially, GC-MS was employed to identify the primary constituents of the EOs, revealing a predominance of phenols, alcohols, hydrocarbons and aldehydes. Principal component analysis was conducted to compare the chemical compositions of the EOs from the plants used in this study with those obtained from other regions. This analysis facilitates the quality assessment of the plant materials in the later stages of the research. In vitro antimicrobial assays indicated that the three EOs independently exhibited their respective antifungal activities against 7 fungi responsible for peach spoilage. The Response Surface Methodology was then applied to optimize the blend ratio of the composite EOs (CEOs) for maximum antifungal efficacy. Concurrently, this study validated the rationality of a second-order polynomial model that correlates the peach decay index with the concentration of the CEOs. To enhance the bioavailability of the CEOs, a pseudo-ternary phase diagram was employed to formulate the CEOs into a microemulsion. Based on the RSM optimization results for the CEOs, the optimal mass ratio of the components within the microemulsion was determined. Using this microemulsion as a base, preservative films were developed that demonstrated a significant preservation effect on peaches, highlighting the immense potential of this research in the food industry.