Microbial Polymers in Edible Films and Coatings of Garden Berry and Grape: Current and Prospective Use.

Zikmanis, Peteris; Juhņeviča-Radenkova, Karina; Radenkovs, Vitalijs; Segliņa, Dalija; Krasnova, Inta; Kolesovs, Sergejs; Orlovskis, Zigmunds; Šilaks, Artūrs; Semjonovs, Pavels

Garden berries and grapes constitute an integral part of a healthy and functional diet. Reduction of post-harvest losses can maximize the shelf life of berry fruits, increasing their market value and promoting consumption. Among current storage techniques, the use of edible films is an emerging strategy for packaging and protecting the surface of small fruits. They provide the necessary barrier for berries against adverse external biotic or abiotic factors while supporting the necessary physiological processes such as moisture and gas exchange. Carbohydrate polymers are an important component of edible films. The desired mechanical strength as well as barrier properties are achieved by combining carbohydrate polymers with other bio-based compounds, such as lipids, proteins, and functional additives. Unlike plant polysaccharides, the studies and use of microbial extracellular polysaccharides (EPSs) remain scarce, especially for films and coatings of garden berries and grapes. This review summarizes the available data for currently used (xanthan, pullulan, gellan, dextran, bacterial cellulose) and prospective microbial EPSs (levan, curdlan, kefiran, bacterial alginate). Directions in future research to achieve more widespread, cost-effective, environmentally friendly production and applications of edible microbial EPS films are discussed.

EDIBLE coatings; MICROBIAL exopolysaccharides; POLYMER films; BERRIES; GRAPES; CURDLAN; GARDENING

Food & Bioprocess Technology, 2021, Vol 14, Issue 8, p1432

1935-5130

Academic Journal

10.1007/s11947-021-02666-3