Abstract
Chitosan, derived from deacetylated chitin, is renowned for various industrial applications, including fruit coatings, due to its distinct biological and physicochemical properties such as film-forming capability, biodegradability, non-toxicity, biocompatibility, and antimicrobial attributes. Chitosan exhibits certain limitations, including hydrophilicity, low mechanical strength, and poor mass transfer barriers. This research leveraged chitosan's biocompatibility by using sodium tripolyphosphate (NaTPP) as a crosslinker to strengthen chitosan (CH) molecules via ionic gelation, with Tween 80 as an emulsifier. Adding Aloe vera (AV) and Moringa oleifera (MO) to the chitosan-NaTPP coating solution aimed to further limit the respiration rate and inhibit microorganism proliferation. The study examined the physicochemical stability and characteristics of chitosan-NaTPP coating solutions with varying concentrations of AV, MO, and both. The effect of the deposition method, including single and double layers, on banana fruit was also studied over 10 d of storage. The particle size was characterized using Malvern Zeta Sizer Nano ZS and chemical bonding of the coating solutions using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The particle size of the CH-NaTPP coating solution was 3.2 nm, CH-NaTPP/AV was 3.6 nm, CH-NaTPP/MO was 3.1 nm, and CH-NaTPP/AV/MO was 2.7 nm. Bananas coated with CH-NaTPP containing 1 % AV and 3 % MO exhibited the slowest ripening process during 10 d of storage. In conclusion, the formulated CH-NaTPP/1 % AV/3 % MO composite proved effective for fruit coating applications, particularly for bananas.
