Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Inclusion of Antifungal and Probiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains in Edible Alginate Coating as a Promising Strategy to Produce Probiotic Table Grapes and Exploit Biocontrol Activity

Version 1 : Received: 4 March 2024 / Approved: 5 March 2024 / Online: 5 March 2024 (10:57:34 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

De Simone, N.; Scauro, A.; Fatchurrahman, D.; Russo, P.; Capozzi, V.; Spano, G.; Fragasso, M. Inclusion of Antifungal and Probiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Strains in Edible Alginate Coating as a Promising Strategy to Produce Probiotic Table Grapes and Exploit Biocontrol Activity. Horticulturae 2024, 10, 419. De Simone, N.; Scauro, A.; Fatchurrahman, D.; Russo, P.; Capozzi, V.; Spano, G.; Fragasso, M. Inclusion of Antifungal and Probiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Strains in Edible Alginate Coating as a Promising Strategy to Produce Probiotic Table Grapes and Exploit Biocontrol Activity. Horticulturae 2024, 10, 419.

Abstract

The use of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) for probiotic enrichment of minimally processed fruit is a well-established practice in literature. In addition, several LAB demonstrated a strain-specific ability to control harmful microorganisms and decay agents, improving shelf-life, maintaining quality and promoting the safety of fruits and vegetables. Edible coatings can help modulate phenomena of gas exchange and water loss by fruits, representing protection from physical damage and spoilage phenomena linked to oxidation and the development of undesired microorganisms. At the same time, the coating can represent an innovative delivery matrix for the LAB strains of potential interest to improve safety and quality in the postharvest management of fruits. In this work, five Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains, previously characterized for their probiotic and antifungal activity, have been incorporated into a sodium alginate coating to develop edible probiotic coatings with antifungal properties for table grapes cv. Italia. The transfer of probiotics and their survival were evaluated by comparing coated and uncoated table grapes during 14 days of cold storage at 4 °C. The alginate edible coating increased the number of probiotics transferred to the surface of the berries from about 5 to more than 7 Log CFU/g, with a crucial impact on the potential functional attributes of the final product. The ability of the functionalised coatings to counteract the decay development was evaluated on table grapes berries artificially contaminated with Aspergillus niger CECT 2805. A significant reduction of lesion diameter was observed in alginate coating with L. plantarum 11-A. The lesion diameter reduction was also accompanied by the reduction of the symptoms of infection, such as browning around the wound. These results suggest the application of selected strains of L. plantarum as promising bio-resources to enhance the overall value of ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables, particularly in combination with edible coating as a carrier matrix. While a strain-dependent effect was not detected with respect to the improvement of the number of cells in the edible coating, a variability depending on the biotype used was detected for the properties linked to biocontrol, suggesting that the inclusion in edible packaging may represent an innovative criterion in the selection of lactobacilli to be applied postharvest.

Keywords

Lactic Acid Bacteria; Lactobacilli; Lactiplantibacillus plantarum; Table grapes; Fruit; Antimicrobial; Probiotic; Edible coating, postharvest; Aspergillus niger; Spoilage

Subject

Biology and Life Sciences, Food Science and Technology

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