Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies, cilt.37, ss.74-83, 2016 (SCI-Expanded)
Coating surfaces of fruit with electrospun zein mats with functionalized antimicrobial properties can be a novel strategy to prevent fungal colonization on fruit surfaces. In this study, we tested curcumin-loaded electrospuri zein nanofibers (CLZN) in terms of limitation of postharvest decay on CLZN-coated apples infected with Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium expansum. Mixtures of zein and curcumin (the curcumin amounts of 2.5 and 5 wt% based on the weight of zein powder) were electrospun to yield cylindrical and ultrafine (<350 nm in diameter) polymeric nanofibers. In addition, molecular, thermal, zeta potential and morphological properties of the CLZN as well as their encapsulation efficiency and releasing kinetics were determined, revealing that the developed zein-based scaffolds showed high encapsulation efficiency, molecular interactions with curcumin within nanofibers, alterations in physical states of these components, smooth beadless structure and good thermal (an endothermic peak at 152 degrees C) and dispersion stability (-24 mV of zeta potential) properties. In vitro antifungal activity tests conducted at 27 degrees C for six days showed that CLZN were effective against growth of the tested fungal pathogens, exhibiting almost 40-50% inhibition of mycelial growth of the fungal pathogens; but the antifungal effect against P. expansum was but two-fold higher than that against B. cinerea. In vivo tests conducted at 23 degrees C with 75% humidity for six days confirmed in vitro test results in terms of both visual inspections on uncoated and coated apples, revealing almost 50% reduction in lesion diameter measured on coated apples infected with Penicillium expansum. Our results suggest that CLZN mats open up new opportunities for a. novel application of edible and biodegradable antifungal coating material with the ability to hinder fungal proliferation on coated apples during storage period.