Self-layered fruit preservation coating based on chitosan and curcumin

Long-term fruit storage requires preservatives to reduce spoilage and maintain freshness. For food safety, additives must adhere stably to fruit surfaces without penetrating the skin. This study developed a coating preservation solution (FS) with highly water-soluble aldehyde starch-curcumin-gelatin composite particles (ASCG) and chitosan, offering high adhesion and low permeability for maintaining the quality of fruits such as cherry tomatoes and apples during storage. The coating formed a 1 μm layer on waxy fruit skins, with ASCG creating a bottom antioxidant/antimicrobial layer and surface-distributed chitosan resisting external water and oxygen infiltration. Adhesion work of FS on cherry tomatoes was 83.83 mN/m, with a spreading coefficient of -13.25 mN/m, indicating low permeability and high adhesion. The coating retained 95% antioxidant and antimicrobial efficacy after 30 days indoors. The Coating shows a significant effect on maintaining the weight and nutritional content of fruits during storage, and had the potential to become a novel, efficient, non-toxic preservative.