Extending the Shelf Life of Strawberries: Physicochemical and Antibacterial Effects of Carboxymethyl Cellulose and Gelatin Coatings With Lemon Essential Oil

Edible coatings are a thin layer of substances that are put on the surface of food. This work was designed to investigate strawberry coating prepared of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), gelatin (G) enriched with lemon essential oil (LEO) in various concentrations (0.5%, 1.5%, 3%), on the antimicrobial characteristics, shelf life, physicochemical, and sensory properties of strawberries preserved for 16 days at 4°C ± 1°C and an RH of 85% ± 5%. It was found that adding LEO to the CMC + G coating inhibited yeast and mold growth as well as decreased weight loss. The total flavonoid (TF), total phenol content (TPC), ascorbic acid, and antioxidant activity (AOA) all decreased slowly. Furthermore, the CMC + G + LEO combination reduced fruit deterioration due to respiration-related cell wall degradation and delayed titratable acidity (TA); pH changes, as well as losses of the fruit's total soluble solid (SS), were decreased. Likewise, the simultaneous use of CMC, G, and LEO in the sensory assessment (texture, flavor, appearance, and over all acceptance) improved aroma and appearance in the sensory assessment of the current research employing CMC + G + LEO 3%. It also proved to be efficient in reducing firmness loss, total flavonoids, ascorbic acid, TPC, and AOA in strawberry fruits compared with the uncoated.