Biopolymer films incorporated with ascorbic Acid: Characterisation, antimicrobial and fruit preservation studies

In the present study, chitosan (CS), gelatin (GL) and methyl cellulose (MC) film formulations were incorporated with ascorbic acid (AA) at a concentration of 15% (w/w). The addition of AA increased the transparency value of biopolymer films. A pronounced effect was obtained for CS, of which the transparency value was increased from 0.501 to 1.17 A/mm. A significant improvement in antimicrobial property against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) was obtained in the presence of AA. CS-AA, GL-AA and MC-AA films were applied for the first time to preserve cherry tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme) and grapes (Vitis vinifera). Based on a 14-day preservation study, the aforementioned biopolymer-AA films were successfully controlled the weight loss and browningindex of both commodities. Overall, results from this study highlight the feasibility of biopolymer-AA films to extend the shelf-life of fruits.