The traditional role of food packaging is continuing to evolve in response to changing market needs. Current drivers such as consumer's demand for safer, "healthier," and higher-quality foods, ideally with a long shelf-life; the demand for convenient and transparent packaging, and the preference for more sustainable packaging materials, have led to the development of new packaging technologies, such as active packaging (AP). As defined in the European regulation (EC) No 450/2009, AP systems are designed to "deliberately incorporate components that would release or absorb substances into or from the packaged food or the environment surrounding the food." Active packaging materials are thereby "intended to extend the shelf-life or to maintain or improve the condition of packaged food." Although extensive research on AP technologies is being undertaken, many of these technologies have not yet been implemented successfully in commercial food packaging systems. Broad communication of their benefits in food product applications will facilitate the successful development and market introduction. In this review, an overview of AP technologies, such as antimicrobial, antioxidant or carbon dioxide-releasing systems, and systems absorbing oxygen, moisture or ethylene, is provided, and, in particular, scientific publications illustrating the benefits of such technologies for specific food products are reviewed. Furthermore, the challenges in applying such AP technologies to food systems and the anticipated direction of future developments are discussed. This review will provide food and packaging scientists with a thorough understanding of the benefits of AP technologies when applied to specific foods and hence can assist in accelerating commercial adoption.

Active Packaging Applications for Food.

In recent years, great interest has been focused on using natural antioxidants in food products, due to studies indicating possible adverse effects that may be related to the consumption of synthetic antioxidants. A variety of plant materials are known to be natural sources of antioxidants, such as herbs, spices, seeds, fruits and vegetables. The interest in these natural components is not only due to their biological value, but also to their economic impact, as most of them may be extracted from food by-products and under-exploited plant species. This article provides an overview of current knowledge on natural antioxidants: their sources, extraction methods and stabilization processes. In addition, recent studies on their applications in the food industry are also addressed; namely, as preservatives in different food products and in active films for packaging purposes and edible coatings.

https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/24/22/4132/pdf

Antioxidants of Natural Plant Origins: From Sources to Food Industry Applications.

Nowadays, biopolymers as intelligent and active biopolymer systems in the food and pharmaceutical industry are of considerable interest in their use. With this association in view, biopolymers such as chitosan, alginate, pectin, cellulose, agarose, guar gum, agar, carrageenan, gelatin, dextran, xanthan, and other polymers have received significant attention in recent years due to their abundance and natural availability. Furthermore, their versatile properties such as non-toxicity, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and flexibility offer significant functionalities with multifunctional applications. The purpose of this review is to summarize the most compatible biopolymers such as chitosan, alginate, and pectin, which are used for application in food, biotechnological processes, and biomedical applications. Therefore, chitosan, alginate, and pectin are biopolymers (used in the food industry as a stabilizing, thickening, capsular agent, and packaging) with great potential for future developments. Moreover, this review highlights their characteristics, with a particular focus on their potential for biocompatibility, biodegradability, bioadhesiveness, and their limitations on certain factors in the human gastrointestinal tract.

The Use of Chitosan, Alginate, and Pectin in the Biomedical and Food Sector-Biocompatibility, Bioadhesiveness, and Biodegradability.

Nowadays, the agro-food industry generates high amounts of byproducts that may possess added value compounds with high functionality and/or bioactivity. Additionally, consumers' demand for healthier foodstuffs has increased over the last years, and thus the food industry has strived to answer this challenge. Byproducts are generally secondary products derived from primary agro-food production processes and represent an interesting and cheaper source of potentially functional ingredients, such as peptides, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds, thus promoting a circular economy concept. The existing body of work has shown that byproducts and their extracts may be successfully incorporated into foodstuffs, for instance, phenolic compounds from eggplant can be potentially used as a mulfitunctional food additive with antimicrobial, antioxidant, and food colorant properties. As such, the aim of this review is to provide insights into byproducts and their potential as new sources of foodstuffs additives.

Agro-Food Byproducts as a New Source of Natural Food Additives

Background Numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the capability of edible coatings for preserving the quality and prolonging the shelf life of fresh/fresh-cut fruits. Evidence has shown that an edible coating could function as a barrier on the fruit surface, modify the internal gas atmosphere, decrease water losses and delay fruit ripening. Efforts have been exerted to introduce new natural coating materials to sustain the safety and quality of fresh/fresh-cut fruits. Scope and approach This review attempts to provide a summary of the recent studies on the application of edible coatings on different fresh/fresh-cut fruit categories, namely pome fruits (apple and pear), citrus, stone fruits, tropical and exotic fruits, berries, melon, and tomatoes. A fundamental theory behind the edible coating treatment and the effect on the physiological, physicochemical, sensory, and antimicrobial properties of fresh/fresh-cut fruits is discussed. The future perspective of this preservation method is also highlighted. Key findings and conclusions Edible coating can be used as an alternative strategy to prolong the shelf life of fresh/fresh-cut fruits. The materials selection for edible coating play a key role in determining its effectiveness and consumers acceptability. The ability of the selected materials in extending the shelf life of fresh/fresh-cut fruits without reducing the sensory and nutritional characteristics are the main challenges in the edible coating techniques, which demands attention for further research.

Recent advance in edible coating and its effect on fresh/fresh-cut fruits quality

BACKGROUND Tomato is a fruit widely consumed due to its flavor and nutritional value; however, it is susceptible to fungi contamination. Oregano essential oil (OEO) is a fungicide whose constituents are volatile; therefore, their incorporation within edible coatings can protect them and maintain their efficacy. In this context, this study evaluated the effect of OEO applied within pectin coatings on the inhibition of Alternaria alternata growth, antioxidant content and sensorial acceptability of tomatoes. RESULTS The major volatile compounds of OEO were carvacrol (47.41%), p-cymene (26.44%) and thymol (3.02%). All the applied OEO concentrations (15.7, 25.9 and 36.1 g L(-1) ) inhibited the in vitro growth of A. alternata, whereas the in vivo effective concentrations were 25.9 and 36.1 g L(-1) . Additionally, there was an increment of total phenols and antioxidant activity in coated tomatoes compared to controls. Aroma acceptability of tomatoes was not affected by the pectin-OEO coating; additionally, the pectin, pectin-OEO 15.7 g L(-1) treatments and control tomatoes showed higher flavor acceptability than those coated with pectin-OEO 25.9 and 36.1 g L(-1) . CONCLUSION Pectin-OEO coatings showed antifungal effect and increased the antioxidant activity without negative effects on the sensorial acceptability of tomatoes. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Oregano (Lippia graveolens) essential oil added within pectin edible coatings prevents fungal decay and increases the antioxidant capacity of treated tomatoes

Byproducts of fruit processing could have higher content of phenolic compounds that can act as antimicrobial and antioxidant agents. In this context, the main objective of this study was to obtain extracts from peel, seed, and unused flesh of Haden, Ataulfo and Tommy Atkins mango varieties, in order to measure their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. The extraction was performed using different methods, such as methanolic-polar, methanolic-non-polar, ethanolic-polar, ethanolic-non-polar and water infusion. The total phenolic content of the ethanolic-non-polar extract from seed of mango Haden showed 875.06 mg/g, DPPH EC50: 0.04 mg/mL, cau-sing a 100 % inhibition of bacteria pathogens applying 25 mg/mL and inhibition of 89.78 % against Alternaria applying 6.25 mg/mL. The flesh always showed the lowest content and bioactivity of the tested parameters. These results demonstrate the antimicrobial and antioxidant potential uses of fruit byproducts as sources of bioactive compounds.

Antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of byproduct extracts of mango fruit

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant capacity of methanolic extracts from species of genus Phellinus: Ph. fastuosus, Ph. grenadensis, Ph. Merrillii, and Ph. Badius, in their respective polar fractions (aqueous) and nonpolar extracts (ethyl acetate), through tests of free-radical inactivation and hemolysis inhibition. The fungus species that gave the extract with the highest phenol content, total flavonoids, and antioxidant capacity [DPPH·, Trolox equivalents antioxidant capacity (TEAC), and hemolysis inhibition] was Ph. Merrillii, followed by Ph. fastuosus, Ph. Grenadensis, and Ph. Badius. The antioxidant capacities of the extracts, in descending order, were as follows: Ph. Merrillii (nonpolar), Ph. Fastuosus (nonpolar), Ph. Grenadensis (nonpolar), Ph. Fastuosus (polar), Ph. Merrillii (polar), Ph. Grenadensis (polar), Ph. Badius (nonpolar), and Ph. Badius (polar). Antioxidant capacity in the above Phellinus fungi species had EC50 values for DPPH inhibition of 0.45, 0.88, 1.31, 1.89, 2.14, 2.22, 3.42, and 6.00 mg/mL, respectively; TEAC values of 10400.29, 7635.53, 4855.05, 4415.39, 4041.68, 2989.2, 1937.7, and 842.42 µmol TE/g, respectively; and hemolysis inhibition values of 72.83, 66.95, 50.87, 50.28, 48.5, 42.82, 42.37, and 37.91%, respectively. In general, the fungus extract with the highest antioxidant capacity was the nonpolar fraction of Ph. Merrillii. The Phellinus species studied represent potential natural sources of bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity.

Edgar Moctezuma

Papers

Oregano (Lippia graveolens) essential oil added within pectin edible coatings prevents fungal decay and increases the antioxidant capacity of treated tomatoes

Antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of byproduct extracts of mango fruit

Polar Fractionation Affects the Antioxidant Properties of Methanolic Extracts from Species of Genus Phellinus Quel. (Higher Basidiomycetes)