Preservation of postharvest quality and bioactive compounds in sweet cherry using carboxymethyl cellulose films enriched with Thymus vulgaris L. essential oil

The study examined the impact of edible carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) films containing thyme essential oil (TEO) on the postharvest quality of Takdaneh Mashhad sweet cherry fruit. Edible films (Efs) containing 1% CMC, 2% CMC, 1% CMC + 0.2% TEO, 1% CMC + 0.4% TEO, 2% CMC + 0.2% TEO, or 2% CMC + 0.4% TEO were used. The control group consisted of fruit with no edible coatings. Sweet cherries were stored at 4 °C and 90 ± 2% relative humidity (RH) for a period of 21 days. At 7-day intervals, the fruit’s physiochemical and nutritional qualities were assessed. Over time, treated fruit maintained their quality better than the control group. CMC-TEO treatments, particularly at higher concentrations, had the best preservation properties. Fruit treated with 2% CMC + 0.4% TEO had significantly higher (p < 0.05) final fruit firmness (295.47 vs. 230.14 mN), ascorbic acid content (90.45 vs. 70.47 mg kg^− 1), total phenolic content (395.47 vs. 321.31 mg kg^− 1), total anthocyanin content (402.55 vs. 289.12 mg kg^− 1), and antioxidant activity (50.13 vs. 38.77%) compared to the control fruit. In addition, the treated fruit had the least increase in TSS:TA ratio, weight loss, and decay percentage during storage. The final values for these parameters were 44.54, 11.64%, and 9%, respectively, which were significantly lower than the control values of 150.56, 26.13%, and 35%. The findings supported and encouraged the use of CMC-TEO composite film packaging to extend the shelf life of sweet cherry fruit by limiting its physiological and metabolic processes.