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The release kinetics of β-carotene nanocapsules/xanthan gum coating and quality changes in fresh-cut melon (cantaloupe)

2016; Elsevier BV; Volume: 157; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.carbpol.2016.11.075

1879-1344

María L. Zambrano‐Zaragoza, David Quintanar‐Guerrero, Alicia Del Real, Elizabeth Piñón‐Segundo, José Francisco Zambrano‐Zaragoza,

Proteins in Food Systems

The main aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of the β-carotene release rate from nanocapsules incorporated into a xanthan gumcoating on the physical and physicochemical properties of fresh-cut melon (var. cantaloupe). Several coatings were studied: xanthan gum alone (XG), xanthan gum combined with nanocapsules (Ncs/XG), xanthan gum combined with nanospheres (Nsp/XG), nanocapsules (Ncs), and nanospheres (Nsp), all of which were compared to untreated fresh-cut melon in order to determine their preservation efficiency. The β-carotene release profiles from the Ncs and Ncs/XG treatments corresponded better to a Higuchi-type behavior (t1/2) for matrix systems (R2 > 0.95). Also observed was a good correlation between the release of β-carotene by the Ncs/XG treatment and the minor changes observed in the whiteness index (≤10%) and firmness (≤2%). These results lead to the conclusion that incorporating β-carotene nanocapsules into a polysaccharide matrix improves the properties of the coatings, thereby increasing storage time to 21 days at 4 °C.