Alginate-Based Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Coating Extends Storage Life and Maintains Quality Parameters of Mango Fruits “cv. Kiett”

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Abstract

In this study, we describe the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and evaluate the impact of alginate-based ZnO NPs (Alg–ZnO NPs) on microbiological activity, storage behavior, and physico-chemical properties of ‘Kiett’ mango fruit. The fruits were coated with alginate and Alg–ZnO NPs and then stored at 13 °C; uncoated mango fruits were used as controls. ZnO NPs were synthesized and characterized, confirming the formation of spherically shaped particles with sizes ranging from 12 to 15.1 nm and a zeta potential equal to 31 mV. Alg–ZnO NPs exhibited the same inhibition capacities against the growth of E. coli and S. aureus bacteria. The cold-stored fruits showed an increase in weight loss, respiration rate, total soluble solids (TSS), total sugars, and total carotenoids over the storage period. However, this increase was comparatively less significant in coated fruits than in uncoated ones. Alg–ZnO NP treatment maintained better fruit quality, controlled the decay incidence, and increased the shelf life of the mango fruits. Firmness and titratable acidity (TA) significantly decreased during storage, but this decrease was reduced in coated fruits. We conclude that Alg–ZnO NP treatment could be a promising safe alternative for maintaining fruit quality, extending the storage period, and increasing the shelf life of mango fruits ‘cv. Kiett’.

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Methods for in vitro evaluating antimicrobial activity: A review ☆

Mounyr Balouiri, Moulay Sadiki, Saad Koraichi Ibnsouda (2015)

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in researching and developing new antimicrobial agents from various sources to combat microbial resistance. Therefore, a greater attention has been paid to antimicrobial activity screening and evaluating methods. Several bioassays such as disk-diffusion, well diffusion and broth or agar dilution are well known and commonly used, but others such as flow cytofluorometric and bioluminescent methods are not widely used because they require specified equipment and further evaluation for reproducibility and standardization, even if they can provide rapid results of the antimicrobial agent's effects and a better understanding of their impact on the viability and cell damage inflicted to the tested microorganism. In this review article, an exhaustive list of in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods and detailed information on their advantages and limitations are reported.

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Food waste within food supply chains: quantification and potential for change to 2050

Julian Parfitt, Mark Barthel, Sarah Macnaughton (2010)

Food waste in the global food supply chain is reviewed in relation to the prospects for feeding a population of nine billion by 2050. Different definitions of food waste with respect to the complexities of food supply chains (FSCs)are discussed. An international literature review found a dearth of data on food waste and estimates varied widely; those for post-harvest losses of grain in developing countries might be overestimated. As much of the post-harvest loss data for developing countries was collected over 30 years ago, current global losses cannot be quantified. A significant gap exists in the understanding of the food waste implications of the rapid development of ‘BRIC’ economies. The limited data suggest that losses are much higher at the immediate post-harvest stages in developing countries and higher for perishable foods across industrialized and developing economies alike. For affluent economies, post-consumer food waste accounts for the greatest overall losses. To supplement the fragmentary picture and to gain a forward view, interviews were conducted with international FSC experts. The analyses highlighted the scale of the problem, the scope for improved system efficiencies and the challenges of affecting behavioural change to reduce post-consumer waste in affluent populations.

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Enhanced bioactivity of ZnO nanoparticles—an antimicrobial study

Rajagopalan Vijayaraghavan, Nagarajan Padmavathy (2008)

In this study, we investigate the antibacterial activity of ZnO nanoparticles with various particle sizes. ZnO was prepared by the base hydrolysis of zinc acetate in a 2-propanol medium and also by a precipitation method using Zn(NO3)2 and NaOH. The products were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Bacteriological tests such as minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and disk diffusion were performed in Luria-Bertani and nutrient agar media on solid agar plates and in liquid broth systems using different concentrations of ZnO by a standard microbial method for the first time. Our bacteriological study showed the enhanced biocidal activity of ZnO nanoparticles compared with bulk ZnO in repeated experiments. This demonstrated that the bactericidal efficacy of ZnO nanoparticles increases with decreasing particle size. It is proposed that both the abrasiveness and the surface oxygen species of ZnO nanoparticles promote the biocidal properties of ZnO nanoparticles.