Chitosan nanoparticles loaded with Cinnamomum zeylanicum essential oil enhance the shelf life of cucumber during cold storage
This oomycete causes damping off, gummosis and fruit rot in many vegetable crops such as Cucurbitaceae and Solanaceae families.
Additionally, encapsulation could improve water solubility, control the delivery, improve absorption, and reduce the toxicity and cost of bioactive compounds due to the reduction of the required quantity.
While microcapsules may guarantee protection of antimicrobial compounds against evaporation or degradation, nanoencapsulation systems, due to high surface area to volume ratios, have versatile advantages for targeted site-specific delivery and efficient absorption through cells that could lead to higher antimicrobial activity.
WHAT YOU CAN LEARN
In this study, chitosan nanoparticles loaded with CEO were prepared with size range of 100190 nm, loading capacity of 34%, and encapsulation efficiency of 217%.
The superior performance of CEO when encapsulated by CSNs in comparison with free oils and CSNs was demonstrated.
Furthermore, the CEO-CSNs was more effective than pure CSNs coating at reducing respiration rates, improving the microbiological quality, preserving the fruit weight and quality of cucumbers during the storage period.
These results demonstrate the potential of CSNs containing cinnamon oil for coating cucumbers to extended the postharvest shelf life.
