Moisture Microenvironment-Regulating Electro spun Membranes for Extending Litchi Shelf Life

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Food Science
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Post-harvest litchi quality is compromised by browning, water loss, and nutrient degradation.
• Effective preservation strategies are crucial for extending the shelf-life of fresh litchi.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a moisture microenvironment-regulating electrospun membrane for litchi preservation.
• To investigate the structural, mechanical, and physicochemical properties of the developed membrane.
• To evaluate the efficacy of the membrane in extending litchi shelf-life and maintaining quality.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) electrospun membranes incorporating carnauba wax (CW)@nano silica (SiO2) composite powder.
• Characterization of membrane properties: dynamic water penetration equilibrium, microstructure, mechanical strength, hydrophobicity, and thermal stability.
• Assessment of litchi preservation efficacy through extended shelf-life studies, monitoring weight loss, nutrient content, enzyme activity, and cell membrane integrity using techniques like MRI and LF-NMR.

Main Results:

• The PET-2.5%CW@SiO2 electrospun membrane demonstrated enhanced tensile strength (8.49 MPa), elongation at break (67.56%), and water contact angle (140.82°).
• The membrane effectively regulated moisture, exhibiting low water vapor absorption (0.33 g in 12 h) and maintaining dynamic equilibrium.
• Packaging with PET-2.5%CW@SiO2 extended litchi shelf-life by five days, significantly reducing weight loss, nutrient degradation, enzyme activity (PPO, POD), and lipid peroxidation.

Conclusions:

• The developed CW@SiO2-integrated PET electrospun membrane is a promising material for post-harvest litchi preservation.
• The membrane effectively inhibits water loss and browning, thereby maintaining the nutritional quality and extending the shelf-life of litchi.
• This technology offers a novel approach to addressing post-harvest challenges in litchi and potentially other fruits.