Effect of Edible Coatings of Cassava Starch Incorporated with Clove and Cinnamon Essential Oils on the Shelf Life of Papaya.

Applying edible coatings added with plant essential oils is a strategy used to delay ripening processes in climacteric fruits such as papaya. Formulations comprising 3% or 4% cassava starch (w/v), added with clove or cinnamon essential oils (2 mL/L), were tested for microbial inhibition (in vitro) purposes. Moreover, these fruits' physicochemical and microbiological aspects were assessed at 25 °C, for 12 days. Slight variations in pH and Brix values were observed during storage. On the other hand, there were no significant variations in carotenoid contents over storage time. The papaya fruits' coating contributed to reducing their weight loss from 40.66% (uncoated sample) to 24.10% on the 12th storage day, as well as delayed changes often observed during the ripening process. The 4% cassava starch coatings added with essential oils were more efficient in reducing microbiological levels. The herein proposed treatments reduced aerobic mesophilic bacteria, as well as molds and yeast counts, by 1.48 and 1.95 log CFU/g, on average, respectively, in comparison to the control sample. The assessed microorganism counts were higher in the uncoated sample than in the coated papaya fruits, after 12 days of storage. Thus, the tested coatings can potentially delay the emergence of post-harvest changes; consequently, they can help improve the quality of papaya fruits and extend their shelf life.

Impacto de revestimentos comestíveis incorporados com óleos essenciais na qualidade microbiológica de mamão minimamente processado / Impact of edible coatings incorporated with essential oils on microbiological quality of fresh cut papaya

Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito de revestimentos de fécula de mandioca incorporados a óleos essenciais de cravo e canela na qualidade microbiológica de mamões minimamente processados. Mamões em estádio de maturação 4 foram adquiridos em comércio varejista local, higienizados, descascados e fatiados. Foram preparados revestimentos comestíveis fécula de mandioca 3 e 4 % e 1% de óleos essenciais de cravo e de canela. Após revestidas, as fatias foram drenadas, dispostas em embalagens e armazenadas a 6°C/9 dias para realização das análises microbiológicas. Para mesófilos aeróbios e fungos filamentosos e leveduras, observou-se que os mamões não revestidos apresentaram contagem significativamente superior aos revestidos. Os mamões revestidos com fécula de mandioca a 4% incorporados com óleos essenciais possibilitaram menor contagem microbiana.