Evaluation of the effect of natural and nanoemulsified essential oils from citrus fruits (Citrus latifolia) on the shelf life of avocados (Persea americana)
Keywords:
steam dragging, total coliforms, fruit firmness, yeasts, nanoemulsion, shelf lifeAbstract
This study evaluated the effect of natural and nanoemulsified essential oils from citrus fruits (Citrus latifolia) on the shelf life of avocados (Persea americana). Post-harvest treatments were applied using pure essential oil and nanoemulsions formulated at 4% and 8% essential oil concentration. The results showed that nanoemulsion treatments significantly reduced firmness loss, lowered weight loss, and inhibited microbial growth. Shelf life was extended from 8 days to approximately 10–12 days. These findings suggest that nanoemulsified essential oil coatings are a natural and effective alternative for extending avocado shelf life.
Downloads
References
Abbott, J. A. (1999). Quality measurement of fruits and vegetables. Postharvest Biology
and Technology, 15(3), 207–225.
Acevedo-Fani, A., Soliva-Fortuny, R., & Martín-Belloso, O. (2017). Nanostructured emulsions and
nanolaminates for delivery of active ingredients: Improving food quality and safety. Critical
Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 57(12), 2542–2553.
Ansarian, A. (2022). Recent advances in nanoemulsion technology for food preservation: A review.
Journal of Food Science and Technology, 59(5), 1600–1608.
Baiza Avelar, I. (2003). Guía Técnica del Cultivo del Aguacate. Ministerio de Agricultura y
Ganadería – IICA, San Salvador, El Salvador.
Barreto, A., García, M., & Heredia, L. (2021). Revestimientos comestibles y recubrimientos
biodegradables en frutas frescas: una alternativa sustentable. Revista Iberoamericana de
Tecnología Postcosecha, 22(1), 12–23.
Deyno, S., Mtewa, A. G., Abebe, A., Hymete, A., Makonnen, E., Bazira, J., & Alele, P. E. (2019).
Essential oils as topical anti-infective agents: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 47, 102224.
DIGESA. (2007). Manual de procedimientos de análisis microbiológico de alimentos. Dirección
General de Salud Ambiental, Ministerio de Salud, Perú.
Frazão, J., de Brito, E. S., de Morais, S. M., Ângelo, A. M., Nunes, J. C., & Maia, A. (2020).
Composition and antioxidant activity of citrus essential oils and evaluation of their antifungal
efficacy in postharvest control of papaya anthracnose. Journal of Food Science and
Technology, 57(6), 2125–2136.
González Cuello, R., Pérez Mendoza, J., & Gélvez Ordóñez, V. (2017). Incremento en la vida útil
postcosecha del aguacate (Persea americana) utilizando recubrimientos a base de goma
gelana. Revista U.D.C.A Actualidad & Divulgación Científica, 20(1), 229–237.
Heredia Chávez, L. & Montenegro Aya, M. (2015). Conservación de alimentos frescos con
recubrimientos naturales: impacto en la salud pública y el ambiente. Revista Panamericana de
Salud Pública, 37(3), 202–208.
Martínez Marín, M., & Macías, S. (2021). Efecto del almacenamiento en frío prolongado sobre la
calidad del aguacate (Persea americana). Revista Científica Agroalimentaria, 3(2), 45–53.
Masqui, Y., Pérez, A., & Martínez, L. (2022). Actividad antioxidante y antimicrobiana de aceites
esenciales cítricos en la calidad postcosecha del aguacate. Acta Bioquímica Clínica
Latinoamericana, 56(4), 589–598.
McClements, D. J., & Rao, J. (2011). Food-grade nanoemulsions: formulation, fabrication,
properties, and potential applications. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 51(4),
–330.
Miranda, M., Barreira, B., & Sepúlveda, E. (2022). Coatings incorporating lemongrass essential
oil nanoemulsions to prolong plum (Prunus salicina) shelf life. Coatings, 12(11), 1700.
MIDA – Ministerio de Desarrollo Agropecuario de Panamá. (2022). Boletín Estadístico
Agropecuario: Producción y Consumo de Aguacate en Panamá. Panamá: Departamento de
Estadísticas, MIDA.
Oliveira Filho, J. G., Silva, G. C., Aguiar, A. C., et al. (2021). Nanoemulsions as edible coatings: A
potential strategy for fresh fruits and vegetables preservation. Foods, 10(10), 2438.
Oliveira, T. S., Costa, A. M. M., Cabral, L. M. C., Freitas-Silva, O., Rosenthal, A., & Tonon, R. V.
(2023). Anthracnose controlled by essential oils: Are nanoemulsion-based films and coatings
a viable and efficient technology for tropical fruit preservation? Foods, 12(2), 279.
Regnier, T., Combrinck, S., Du Plooy, W., & Botha, B. (2010). Evaluation of Lippia scaberrima
essential oil and some pure terpenoid constituents as postharvest mycobiocides for avocado
fruit. Crop Protection, 29(6), 481–488.
Singh, P., Wani, A. A., & Karim, A. (2021). Chitosan-based nanoemulsion coating incorporating
clove essential oil for active preservation of fresh-cut papaya. Food and Bioprocess
Technology, 14(7), 1305–1315.
Solís-Silva, A., Rodríguez, J., & Villanueva, M. E. (2018). Preparación de nanoemulsiones de
aceites esenciales por alta homogenización y ultrasonido. Revista Mexicana de Ingeniería Q
Pérez, A. G. (2007).
Guía técnica para el análisis microbiológico de superficies en contacto con alimentos y bebidas.
química, 17(3), 927–940.
Zafar, T., & Sidhu, J. S. (2011). Avocado: Production, quality, and major processed products. En
N. K. Sinha (Ed.), Handbook of Vegetables and Vegetable Processing (pp. 525–543). John
Wiley & Sons.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.


