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. 2020 Dec 14;10(12):2513.
doi: 10.3390/nano10122513.

Combined Effect of Active Packaging of Polyethylene Filled with a Nano-Carrier of Salicylate and Modified Atmosphere to Improve the Shelf Life of Fresh Blueberries

Valeria Bugatti  1   2 , Maria Cefola  3 , Nicola Montemurro  3   4 , Michela Palumbo  3   5 , Laura Quintieri  4 , Bernardo Pace  3 , Giuliana Gorrasi  1
Affiliations

Combined Effect of Active Packaging of Polyethylene Filled with a Nano-Carrier of Salicylate and Modified Atmosphere to Improve the Shelf Life of Fresh Blueberries

Valeria Bugatti et al. Nanomaterials (Basel). .

Abstract

Blueberries are popular among consumers for their high nutritional value but are highly perishable due to the microbial decay. The use of active packaging that is able to interact with the food through releasing or absorbing substances can be a valid approach to preserve the quality and increase the fruit's shelf-life. In this paper, an active packaging based on polyethylene (PE) filled with a nano-carrier of salicylate was prepared and characterized. Fresh blueberries were packaged in passive modified atmosphere packaging (pMA) for 13 days at 8 °C. The combination of the active filler in bulk and pMA showed a significant inhibition of mold development and a reduction of the respiration rate of fruits. Moreover, the release of salicylate on blueberries did not alter the fruits' sensory traits and preserved the firmness and the nutritional quality. Finally, the combination of active packaging and pMA resulted a valid solution to extend blueberries' shelf-life up to 13 days.

Keywords: layered double hydroxides (LDHs); marketability; microbial control; polyethylene; postharvest quality.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
X-ray diffraction of unfilled polyethylene (PE) (A) and active film (B). Inset: Layered Double Hydroxides modified with salicylate molecule.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Release of salicylate bonded to Layered Double Hydroxides nanofiller from active film and simply blended into PE
Figure 3
Figure 3
Changes in gas composition inside Active-pMA bags of blueberries (cv Rebel) stored for 13 days at 8 °C. Data are mean values (n = 3) ± standard deviation. pMA: passive modified atmosphere packaging.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Changes in respiration rate (A), weight loss (B), visual quality (C) and firmness (D) in blueberries (cv Rebel) stored in Active-pMA or in air (Control) for 13 days at 8 °C. Data are mean values (n = 3) ± standard deviation.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Total bacteria counts (TBC) (A), mold and yeast (M/Y) (B) (Log colony-forming units (CFU) g−1) determined in blueberries (cv.Rebel) stored in Active-pMA or in air (Control) for 13 days at 8 °C. Data are mean values (n = 3) ± standard deviation. Asterisks indicate statistically significance differences (Student’s test, ** p < 0.01 * p < 0.05).
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