Use of an edible coating containing galbanum gum and cumin essential oil for quality preservation in sweet cherries

Nowadays, the use of natural compounds is considered as an effective strategy for maintaining the quality and heath promoting capacity of fresh products. Changes in quality parameters, main phenolics and antioxidants of sweet cherries in response to coating with a novel bioactive edible coating were studied. Fruit were treated with different concentrations of galbanum gum (GG), cumin essential oil (CEO) and CaCl2 (CA) and stored at 2 +/- 1 degrees C with 90-95% RH for 30 days plus 1 day at ambient condition, and were subjected to quality analysis. All phenolic constituents and antioxidants of fruit juice were substantially decreased during storage in control fruit and a bioactive coating containing 1 or 2% GG + 100 or 200 mu L L-1 CEO + 1% CA maintained main fruit phytochemicals including phenolics, phenolic acids, flavonols, anti-stress and antioxidant enzymes activities. The coating significantly (P <= 0.01) enhanced fruit total antioxidant activity, flavonoids and ferulic acid contents. The results showed that it is possible to enhance the sweet cherry fruit health-promoting phytochemicals and shelf life by the use of a natural edible coating containing GG and CEO.