Alginate-based edible coating in combination with nanoencapsulated eugenol and its preservative effect on the shelf life of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

Deficiencies in post-harvest technology and the attack of phytopathogens cause a very short shelf life of fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes. In addition to the economic damage, it can have negative effects on health and the environment. The objective of this work was to apply an active sodium alginate coating in combination with eugenolloaded polymeric nanocapsules (AL-NP-EUG) to improve the shelf life of tomato. Using the nanoprecipitation technique, NP were obtained with a mean size of 171 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.113 and a zeta potential of -2.47 mV. Using the technique of HS-SPME coupled to GC-FID, a percentage of encapsulation efficiency of 31.85% was determined for the EUG-loaded NP. The shelf life study showed that tomatoes treated with AL-NP-EUG held firm longer than those without the coating. In addition, for the pathogenicity test, it was shown that tomatoes with AL-NP-EUG did not show signs of damage caused by the phytopathogen Colletotrichum gloesporoides. It was concluded that the formulation of EUG nanoencapsulated and incorporated into the edible coating has high potential for its application as a natural nanopreservative of fruit and vegetable products such as tomato.