Antifungal Edible Coatings for Fresh Citrus Fruit: A Review
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2015Cita bibliográfica
Palou, L., Valencia-Chamorro, S., & Pérez-Gago, M. (2015). Antifungal edible coatings for fresh citrus fruit: A review. Coatings, 5(4), 962-986Abstract
According to their origin, major postharvest losses of citrus fruit are caused by
weight loss, fungal diseases, physiological disorders, and quarantine pests. Cold storage and
postharvest treatments with conventional chemical fungicides, synthetic waxes, or
combinations of them are commonly used to minimize postharvest losses. However, the
repeated application of these treatments has led to important problems such as health and
environmental issues associated with fungicide residues or waxes containing ammoniacal
compounds, or the proliferation of resistant pathogenic fungal strains. There is, therefore, an
increasing need to find non-polluting alternatives to be used as part of integrated disease
management (IDM) programs for preservation of fresh citrus fruit. Among them, the
development of novel natural edible films and coatings with antimicrobial properties is a
technological challenge for the industry and a very active research field worldwide. Chitosan
and other edible coatings formulated by adding antifungal agents to composite emulsions
based on polysaccharides or proteins and lipids are reviewed in this article. The most
important antifungal ingredients are selected for their ability to control major citrus
postharvest diseases like green and blue molds, caused by Penicillium digitatum and
Penicillium italicum, respectively, and include low-toxicity or natural chemicals such as
food additives, generally recognized as safe (GRAS) compounds, plant extracts, or essential
oils, and biological control agents such as some antagonistic strains of yeasts or bacteria.