Application of an edible coating based on nopal mucilage for the preservation of guava

Abstract

Consumers are interested in natural, healthy, nutritious and wholesome products. This has motivated the development of research and edible coatings applied to fruit and vegetable products as an alternative to meet these needs. The purpose of this research is to demonstrate that the use of edible coatings helps the preservation and quality of guava. To meet the objective, six treatments were evaluated with a control, three formulations of nopal mucilage plus thyme essential oil (100% mucilage, 99.5% mucilage + 0.5% essential oil, 99% mucilage + 1% essential oil), at two immersion times (60 and 30 S). The variables considered were titratable acidity, pH, soluble solids, weight loss, and determination of the presence of microorganisms. The best treatment was a2b1 (99% mucilage + 1% thyme essential oil), because it preserved the greatest amount of fruit properties during the experiment. The response variable considered to be of great significance is weight, which was recorded daily for 10 days. In this physical parameter, the best treatment was a2b1 (99.5% mucilage + 1% thyme essential oil) for 30 seconds.