Evaluation of the effect of edible coating based on Lepidium sativum seed mucilage in combination with Cinnamomum zeylanicum essential oil on increasing the shelf life of strawberries

Strawberry is a non-climacteric fruit, but its high post-harvest respiration rate results in a rapid spoilage at room temperature. The aim of this study was to evaluate the application of biodegradable coating based on Lepidium sativum seed mucilage in combination with Cinnamomum zeylanicum essential oil in post-harvest protection of strawberry fruit at 4 °C. Strawberry coating treatments included control sample, mucilage without essential oil, mucilage containing 0.5% essential oil, mucilage containing 0.75% essential oil, and mucilage containing 1% essential oil. Physicochemical (total soluble solids, pH, acidity, and hardness), microbial (mold and yeast), and sensory (color, odor, texture, and overall acceptance) properties of the fruits were studied on days 1, 4, 7 and 10 of storage. The treatments containing essential oil had a positive effect on post-harvest quality of strawberries. Although the quality of samples decreased by storage time, compared with the control sample, mucilage coating containing 1% essential oil prevented severe changes in acidity, pH, hardness, fungi count, and sensory properties of the samples during the storage period and it was selected as the best treatment. In general, samples coated with L. sativum seed mucilage containing C. zeylanicum essential oil showed the highest overall acceptance compared to the control sample due to low microbial load and preservation of texture and flavor compounds. Therefore, the edible coating based on L. sativum seed mucilage and C. zeylanicum essential oil can be used to increase the shelf life of other food products.