Saffron, similar to numerous other agricultural commodities, is susceptible to microbial contamination during cultivation and postharvest handling. Cold plasma treatment has emerged as an effective method for microbial inactivation while preserving food quality. The aim of this research was to preserve the color integrity and minimize the presence of microorganisms in dried saffron stigma by implementing cold plasma pre-treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this study, sequential electrospinning was employed to produce a multilayer film consisting of zein nanofibers (Z) and Zataria multiflora essential oil (ZMEO) with different layers. The layers include: Z (without ZMEO), Z1 (one layer of Z + ZMEO), Z3 (three layers of Z + ZMEO), and Z5 (five layers of Z + ZMEO). Then, the effect of this antimicrobial packaging was investigated in relation to increasing the shelf life of strawberries at 4 °C for 12 days.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSeedless barberry fruit is one of the important horticultural products of Iran, which has health benefits due to great amounts of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity. However, fresh barberry fruit has a short shelf life even at cold storage, mainly due to high water content and thin skin that leads to fungal decay and high postharvest loss. We examined the effectiveness of the postharvest ultrasonic technology on the quality preservation and nutritional value of fresh seedless barberry fruit and their decay reduction during cold storage.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this study, an active packaging containing Zataria multiflora essential oil (ZMEO), a powerful natural antimicrobial agent, encapsulated into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber via electrospinning is presented. ZMEO was effective on pathogenic bacteria, particularly Gram-positive bacteria (, , ), fungi and yeasts (). Results showed that the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of fibers had a bead-free and uniform structure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWith the increasing population of the world food demand is also increasing but unfortunately, many countries in the world are lacking suitable and economical postharvest preservation techniques to minimize increasing postharvest losses. To ensure food security advanced production technologies, distribution systems and minimum losses should be ensured to give accessibility of food to all population groups. Innovative preservation techniques should be adopted by the agriculture sector to meet intercontinental distribution and demand for fresh produce.
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