Effect of nanoparticle-enriched coatings on the shelf life of Cavendish bananas

The study aimed to investigate the effect of enriching Aloe vera and Moringa oleifera plant extract edible coatings with chitosan nanoparticles on the postharvest quality of ‘Cavendish’ bananas. Banana fruits were dipped into the following treatments: Aloe vera 50% (AV), Moringa oleifera 10% (MO), Aloe vera 50% + chitosan nanoparticle 2% (AV+CN), and Moringa oleifera 10% + chitosan nanoparticle 2% (MO+CN). Fruits were stored at room temperature (18 ± 1°C) for up to 30 days. Sampling was done on a five-day interval and sensory evaluation was done after 25 days in storage. The results showed that adding chitosan nanoparticles to edible coating had a significant (p < 0.05) impact on the firmness, ethylene rate, respiration, and total phenolic content during storage. MO+CN coating reduced weight loss (23%), respiration rate (18 mg/kg/h), and ethylene generation (144 µL/kg/h) to a larger extent followed by AV+CN, MO, and AV. In addition, the combination treatment preserved fruit quality parameters, such as total soluble solids, fruit firmness, and peel colour. Furthermore, MO+CN had the highest score for colour (6 score), texture (7 score), odour (7 score), and overall acceptability (6 score) for the consumer analysis using a 9-point hedonic scale. As a result, adding chitosan nanoparticles to plant extract coatings, especially Moringa oleifera, improved their efficiency and can be utilized to increase the storage life of banana fruit.