Preparation of In-situ Formed Coating on the Surface of Fresh-cut Fruit and Its Application in Freshness Preservation

LI Zhixin; ZHAO Yile; GUO Xiaohong; CHEN Chen; JIANG Aili; LI Jiangkuo; WU Di; CHEN Kunsong

doi:10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2025.23.018

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Packaging Engineering ›› 2025, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (23) : 171-180. DOI: 10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2025.23.018

Agro-products Preservationand Food Packaging

Preparation of In-situ Formed Coating on the Surface of Fresh-cut Fruit and Its Application in Freshness Preservation

LI Zhixin^1a, ZHAO Yile^1a, GUO Xiaohong^1b, CHEN Chen², JIANG Aili², LI Jiangkuo³, WU Di^1a,*, CHEN Kunsong^1a

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Abstract

The work aims to prepare a coating formed in-situ on the surface of fresh-cut fruits to solve the problem of water loss and softening of fresh-cut fruits during storage and to maintain their quality. By using deacetylated konjac glucomannan (DKGM), carboxylated cellulose nanofibers (CCNF), and sodium alginate (SA) as raw materials, and adopting a dip-coating process, a coating was developed, which could be directly molded in-situ on the surface of fresh-cut fruits in only 30 s by Ca²⁺ cross-linking. Furthermore, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and glutathione (GSH) were loaded into the coating. The structure, mechanical properties, and cytotoxicity of the DKGM/CCNF/SA in-situ coating were characterized, and its preservation performance in fresh-cut fruits was investigated. When the volume ratio of the DKGM/CCNF mixed solution to the SA solution was 1:1, the in-situ coating exhibited stronger mechanical properties (compressive modulus of (1.10±0.14) MPa) and better thermal stability, and it also demonstrated good biosafety and low cytotoxicity. Fresh-cut apple preservation experiments showed that after 7 days of storage at 4 °C, the firmness of fresh-cut apples treated with the E/G-DKGM/CCNF/SA in-situ coating was 7.71 N, which was significantly higher than that of the untreated control group (6.10 N). Compared with the control group, the E/G-DKGM/CCNF/SA in-situ coating group reduced the water loss rate by 4.61% and the browning index by 19.62%. Overall, the DKGM/CCNF/SA in-situ coating can significantly inhibit the increase of the weight loss rate, decrease of firmness, and browning of the fruit flesh. This study provides a new approach for the rapid in-situ formation of surface coatings on fresh-cut fruits and the inhibition of water loss and softening.

Key words

in-situ formed coating / fresh-cut apples / water loss and softening / deacetylated konjac glucomannan / Ca²⁺ cross-linking / preservation

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LI Zhixin, ZHAO Yile, GUO Xiaohong, CHEN Chen, JIANG Aili, LI Jiangkuo, WU Di, CHEN Kunsong. Preparation of In-situ Formed Coating on the Surface of Fresh-cut Fruit and Its Application in Freshness Preservation[J]. Packaging Engineering. 2025, 46(23): 171-180 https://doi.org/10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2025.23.018

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