Assessment of Possible Application of an Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet for Shelf Life Extension of Fresh-Cut Salad

Fresh-Cut Eruca Sativa Treated with Plasma Activated Water (PAW): Evaluation of Antioxidant Capacity, Polyphenolic Profile and Redox Status in Caco2 Cells

Plasma Activated Water (PAW) has recently emerged as a promising non-chemical and non-thermal technology for the microbial decontamination of food. However, its use as a replacement for conventional disinfection solutions needs further investigation, as the impact of reactive species generated by PAW on nutritional food quality, toxicology, and safety is still unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate how treatment with PAW affects the health-promoting properties of fresh-cut rocket salad (Eruca sativa). Therefore, the polyphenolic profile and antioxidant activity were evaluated by a combination of UHPLC-MS/MS and in vitro assays. Moreover, the effects of polyphenolic extracts on cell viability and oxidative status in Caco2 cells were assessed. PAW caused a slight reduction in the radical scavenging activity of the amphiphilic fraction over time but produced a positive effect on the total phenolic content, of about 70% in PAW-20, and an increase in the relative percentage (about 44-50%) of glucosinolate. Interestingly, the PAW polyphenol extract did not cause any cytotoxic effect and caused a lower imbalance in the redox status compared to an untreated sample. The obtained results support the use of PAW technology for fresh-cut vegetables to preserve their nutritional properties.

Emerging Postharvest Technologies to Enhance the Shelf-Life of Fruit and Vegetables: An Overview

Quality losses in fresh produce throughout the postharvest phase are often due to the inappropriate use of preservation technologies. In the last few decades, besides the traditional approaches, advanced postharvest physical and chemical treatments (active packaging, dipping, vacuum impregnation, conventional heating, pulsed electric field, high hydrostatic pressure, and cold plasma) and biocontrol techniques have been implemented to preserve the nutritional value and safety of fresh produce. The application of these methodologies after harvesting is useful when addressing quality loss due to the long duration when transporting products to distant markets. Among the emerging technologies and contactless and non-destructive techniques for quality monitoring (image analysis, electronic noses, and near-infrared spectroscopy) present numerous advantages over the traditional, destructive methods. The present review paper has grouped original studies within the topic of advanced postharvest technologies, to preserve quality and reduce losses and waste in fresh produce. Moreover, the effectiveness and advantages of some contactless and non-destructive methodologies for monitoring the quality of fruit and vegetables will also be discussed and compared to the traditional methods.

Nano Coating of Aloe-Gel Incorporation Additives to Maintain the Quality of Freshly Cut Fruits

The edible coating is an environmentally friendly technology that is applied to fresh-cut fruit products. One of the natural ingredients that are potentially applicable is aloe-gel because it contains several functional components. The main advantage of aloe-coating is that additives can be incorporated into the polymer matrix to enhance its properties. Additives tend to improve the safety, nutritional, and sensory attributes of fresh fruits, but in some cases, aloe-coating does not work. Furthermore, particle size determines the effectiveness of the process on fresh-cut fruits. Aloe-gel nano-coating can be used to overcome the difficulty of adhesion on the surface of fresh-cut fruits. However, quality criteria for fresh cut fruit coated with aloe-gel nano-coating must be strictly defined. The fruit to be processed must be of minimal quality so that discoloration, loss of firmness, spoilage ratio, and fruit weight loss can be minimized. This study aims to discuss the use of nano-coating aloe-gel incorporated with additional ingredients to maintain the quality of fresh-cut fruits. It also examined the recent advances in preparation, extraction, stabilization, and application methods in fresh fruits.