Physicochemical and quality characters of fresh pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) cultivars in response to chitosan/ZnO nanocomposite coating

• Published in: Food chemistry Vol. 435; p. 137136
• Main Authors: Taghipour, Shirin, Ehtesham Nia, Abdollah, Hokmabadi‬, Hossein, Martínez-Gómez, Pedro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2024
• Subjects: Biodegradable; Chitosan/ZnO; Fresh pistachios; Nanocomposite; Shelf life; Nanocomposite; Shelf life; Biodegradable; Fresh pistachios; Chitosan/ZnO
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.137136

[Display omitted] •The shelf life of fresh pistachios is increased by using natural ingredients.•CHNPs-ZnO nanocomposite is a very effective method for storage fresh pistachios.•The use of nano zinc oxide has helped pistachio nuts to become crispy and delicious.•CHNPs-ZnO treatments help to reduce aflatoxin contamination of fresh pistachios. This study was done to evaluate the effect of pre-harvest foliar application with chitosan (500 and 1000 mg L−1), Nano-chitosan (250 and 500 mg L−1), and chitosan/ZnO nanocomposite (250 and 500 mg L−1) coatings on the quality and shelf life of fresh pistachios of “Akbari” and “Ahmad Aghaei” cultivars during storage. The results showed that 250 and 500 mg L−1 of chitosan/ZnO coatings significantly affected the shelf life of pistachios up to 35 and 40 days, respectively; in addition, chitosan/ZnO nanocomposite in both cultivars reduced weight loss, aflatoxin contamination, decay, polyphenol oxidase and glutathione-peroxidase enzymes, peroxide value, free fatty acids, and improve firmness, sensory properties, protein, oil content, carbohydrate, antioxidant properties, anthocyanin, phenol, and flavonoid. These results indicated that using chitosan/ZnO (250 and 500 mg L−1) is a promising efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly method for preserving the quality of fresh pistachios. It reduces hull browning and minimizes post-harvest losses.