Effects of Carrageenan with Lemon Essential Oil as Edible Coating on Fruits and Vegetables

Abstract

The perishability of fresh produce poses a major challenge for food security and waste reduction. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a lemon essential oil (LEO)-infused carrageenan edible coating on tomatoes, bananas, eggplants, and carrots. The coating exhibited consistent formulation properties (pH 5.58, IC50 = 18.45 ± 0.67 mg/mL) and stable emulsion characteristics. Over eight days of storage, coated produce showed reduced moisture loss, improved color retention, and higher vitamin C content (e.g., coated tomatoes retained 2.817 mg vs. 1.7612 mg in uncoated). The raw materials that were used were tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum), banana (Musa paradisiaca), eggplant (Solanum melogena) and carrot (Daucus corota). The method consists of preparing the coating solution, preparing the samples, characterizing the coating solution, analyzing the coating solutions on fruits and vegetables, and performing statistical analysis. Two-way ANOVA confirmed significant improvements in physicochemical parameters. These findings highlight the potential of LEO-carrageenan as a sustainable, natural alternative to synthetic preservatives. Though the study’s scope was limited to four produce types and an 8-day storage period. Future research should include a broader range of produce, extended storage trials, and varying environmental conditions to better assess the coating’s long-term effectiveness. Exploring different LEO-carrageenan ratios would also help optimize the coating for specific fruits and vegetables.