Preparation and Study of the Effectiveness of Nano-Starch used as a Edible Coating in Extending the Shelf - life of Sweet Cherries during cold storage

Abstract

The study aimed to prepare starch with nano dimensions chemically using concentrated hydrochloric acid and study its morphological properties and use it as edible film  and study its effect in extending the shelf - life and delaying the  appearance sings of ripping and senescence of sweet cherry during of storage period of 12 days at a temperature ranging from 5-7 C , as some of its physicochemical properties were studied (weight loss, percentage of total dissolved solids, concentration of anthocyanin pigment, total acidity) during the storage. Three treatments (T1, T2, T3) were prepared by adding different concentrations of nano-starch to the solution used in packaging cherries at a rate of (0.5, 1, 1.5)% respectively in addition to the control sample T0 (without packaging). The results showed the possibility of obtaining starch with nano-sized sizes ranging from (34.16 - 48.16) nm, as well as the effectiveness of coating cherries with nano-starch in preserving their qualitative properties and delaying the appearance of signs of ripening and aging during the storage period, as The control treatment T0 obtained the lowest results with significant differences compared to the rest of the treatments, as it recorded the highest weight loss percentage, which reached 4.11%. It also recorded a significant increase in the concentration of anthocyanin pigment and the percentage of total dissolved solids, which reached 47.30 mg/100 g and 18.04, respectively, while it recorded a significant decrease in the total acidity value, which was 0.22 at the end of the storage period. The results also indicate the superiority of the T3 treatment samples, as it obtained the best results compared to the rest of the treatments during the storage period.