Exopolysaccharide from Weissella confusa HYF86: Structure, composite film and strawberry postharvest preservation

Strawberry as a nutritious plant with high commercial value, which is prone to spoilage during storage. The aim of this work was to develop a novel chitosan-based film to enhance the shelf life of strawberries. The results showed that the exopolysaccharide from Weissella confusa HYF86 (EPS86) belongs to heteropolysaccharides mainly composed of glucose with →4)-Glcp-(1→ glycosidic bonds and a smooth surface, which is conducive to the formation of film. In addition, EPS86 improved the elongation at break and air permeability of the film, which was 2.00-fold and 1.13-fold than that of the chitosan group, respectively. In particular, EPS86-loaded film decreased water loss, reduced spoilage rate by 16.67 % and maintained the texture of strawberry during the storage period. It is well established that EPS86 effectively increased the release of strawberry flavor compared with chitosan, and ethyl hexanoate proportion of strawberries in EPS group was significantly higher than that in the chitosan group on the first day of storage. The results suggested that EPS86 exhibited the potential for fruit preservation and flavor release modulation, which offers a viable prospect for non-destructive preservation of fruits and vegetables.