Nature's Preservative: Epigallocatechin Gallate-Loaded Edible Film Extends Mango Shelf Life

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Materials Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Plastic packaging in the fruit supply chain poses environmental challenges.
• Edible coatings offer a sustainable solution for food preservation.
• Mangoes are susceptible to decay, necessitating effective preservation methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an edible natural coating for mango preservation.
• To evaluate the properties and efficacy of a collagen hydrolysate-chitosan-epigallocatechin gallate (CH-CS-EGCG) coating.
• To reduce the environmental impact of fruit packaging.

Main Methods:

• Optimized the mass ratio of collagen hydrolysate (CH) to chitosan (CS) and the concentration of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).
• Characterized the coating's structure and properties using SEM and FT-IR.
• Assessed the coating's antioxidant and antibacterial activities.
• Applied the coating to mangoes to evaluate its preservation effect.

Main Results:

• The optimized CH-CS-EGCG coating (1:4 CH:CS, 3 wt% EGCG) showed enhanced mechanical properties and low water vapor permeability.
• SEM and FT-IR confirmed successful EGCG incorporation into the CH-CS matrix via hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, and electrostatic forces.
• The CH-CS-EGCG coating exhibited significantly higher antioxidant activity (234% ABTS, 422% DPPH scavenging) compared to CH-CS alone.
• The coating achieved 92% inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus and extended mango shelf life by 6 days.

Conclusions:

• The CH-CS-EGCG coating is a promising, eco-friendly alternative for extending the shelf life of fruits like mangoes.
• This edible coating effectively preserves mangoes by slowing decay and deterioration.
• The study highlights the potential of EGCG in advanced edible coating applications for sustainable food packaging.