Ethylene control in fruit quality assurance:A material science perspective

The waste of resources associated with fruit decay is rapidly spreading globally,threatening the interests of relevant practitioners and the health of consumer groups,and demanding precise solutions.Controlling fruit ripening through ethylene reg-ulation is one of the most important strategies for providing high-quality fruits.However,current materials for ethylene regulation still have difficulty realizing their application potential due to high manufacturing costs and performance defi-ciencies.In this review,the ethylene-controlled release materials for ripening based on molecular encapsulation and the ethylene scavengers for preservation based on mechanisms such as oxidation,photodegradation,and adsorption are presented.We discuss and analyze a wide range of materials in terms of mechanism,perfor-mance,potential of applicability,and sustainability.The ethylene release behavior of encapsulating materials depends on the form in which the ethylene binds to the material as well as on environmental factors(humidity and temperature).For ethy-lene scavengers,there are a variety of scavenging mechanisms,but they generally require porous materials as adsorption carriers.We highlight the great opportunity of designing soft crystalline porous materials as efficient ethylene adsorbent due to their unique structural properties.We present this review,including a summary of practical characteristics and deficiencies of various materials,to establish a system-atic understanding of fruit quality assurance materials applied to ethylene regulation,anticipating a promising prospect for these new materials.

Ethylene scavenging film based on corn starch-gum acacia impregnated with sepiolite clay and its effect on quality of fresh broccoli florets

Barley(Hordeum vulgare L.)grasses(BG)have attracted considerable interest due to their multiple physiological activities and health benefits.In this paper,eight BG at four different growth stages were collected:seedling,tillering,stem elongation,and heading,and their product qualities and biological activities were examined and studied.Results demonstrated that harvest time obviously influenced proximate composition,surface color,and amino acid profile.Z21 and Z23 harvested at the seedling and early tillering stages,respectively,had higher total phenolic content(TPC)and total flavonoid content(TFC)than the other BG.Moreover,Z21 and Z23 possessed better DPPH radical-scavenging ability,antioxidant capacity,andα-glucosidase inhibitory activity,which were positively correlated with TPC,TFC,and protein and total amino acid contents.Our findings suggested that the early tillering stages were the preferable harvest times for BG with good product quality and biological properties.

Zeolites for food applications:A review Cristian

Zeolites have been little investigated for food applications,despite their chemical composition is similar to clays and clay minerals,which have been extensively analyzed for various applications,including food.Zeolites can be distinguished from clay materials,since the former have a porous microstructure characterized by intracrystalline cavities and channels,while the latter have a laminar microstructure.The goal of this review paper was to give a comprehensive perspective in terms of the different food applications found so far for zeolites,namely:antimicrobial materials,ethylene scavengers,fillers for food packaging materials,food nanoreactors,food substance sensors,immobilizers and stabilizers of active compounds and enzymes,molecular sieves for the pretreatment of food samples,as well as intelligent food contact materials.The main food applications from zeolites are related to their good properties as adsorbent materials,and these properties can be altered and tuned by ion exchange,surface organo-modification,among others,for a specific designed application.Zeolites for food applications have been investigated primarily as antimicrobial materials,concentrators of target analytes and sensors for food substances.However,the other potential food applications indicated above from zeolites are booming,since they are harmless materials recognized by various organizations.