Evaluation of the effect of edible coating based on Shahri Balangu (Lalelemantia iberica) seed mucilage containing cinnamon essential oil on physicochemical, microbial, and sensory properties of strawberry during storage

Antimicrobial edible coatings containing plant essential oils have various advantages and are currently being used to design biodegradable packaging. In this study, cinnamon essential oil was added at concentrations of 0, 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9% to the Shahri Balangu seed mucilage solution to produce a bioactive edible coating. Strawberry samples were coated with the edible coating and their physicochemical, microbial, and sensory changes were evaluated during a 10-day storage period at 4 °C. Compared to the control sample, the use of edible coating based on Shahri Balangu seed mucilage containing 0.9% of cinnamon essential oil, significantly inhibited the changes in pH, acidity, soluble solids (13.69% vs. 43.5% increase), microbial count (3.22 vs. 3.98 log CFU/g increase), hardness (6.74% vs. 33.05%), and sensory properties (color, odor, texture, and overall acceptance) of strawberry fruit during storage. Therefore, the edible coating based on Shahri Balangu seed mucilage containing cinnamon essential oil can be used as an active packaging to improve the quality and safety characteristics of various food products.