Chitosan-based films grafted with citrus waste-derived antifungal agents: An innovative and sustainable approach to enhance post-harvest preservation of citrus fruit

Arslan D., Tuccitto N., Auditore A., Licciardello A., Marletta G., Riolo M., ...Daha Fazla

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, cilt.264, 2024 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 264
  • Basım Tarihi: 2024
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130514
  • Dergi Adı: International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, BIOSIS, Biotechnology Research Abstracts, CAB Abstracts, Chemical Abstracts Core, EMBASE, Food Science & Technology Abstracts, INSPEC, Veterinary Science Database
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Antifungal activity, Bioactive packaging, citrus coating, Natural polysaccharide
  • Ankara Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

This paper reports the synthesis, characterization, and properties of chitosan films (CHI) grafted with a natural antifungal agent with the aim of developing active films of natural origin to prevent post-harvest losses of citrus fruit. The antifungal agent was prepared by fermentation using lemon peel (AntiFun-LM), a citrus waste, and grafted on chitosan using different coupling agents (CHI/AntiFun-LM). Bioactive films were prepared by solvent casting. FTIR-ATR and ToF-SIMS analyses provided compelling evidence of the successful grafting process. TGA-DSC demonstrated that the films are stable after grafting. SEM studies showed the continuous and compact surface of the films. WCA measurements proved that CHI/AntiFun-LM films are more hydrophilic than CHI films. Moreover, the CHI/AntiFun-LM films showed stronger UV shielding effect when compared to CHI. The biological evaluation demonstrated that CHI/AntiFun-LM films gained considerable antifungal properties against most fungi responsible for post-harvest decay. Cytotoxicity tests showed that CHI/AntiFun-LM films did not cause any toxic effect against L929 fibroblasts. This study highlights the great potential of chemical grafting of antifungal agents produced from citrus waste to chitosan and preparation of natural-based films to act as a powerful alternative in post-harvest protection of citrus fruit in a perspective of circular economy.