Studies on biopolymer based cinnamon oil formulation to improve the shelf life of cherry tomato against Alternaria alternata

¹ Amity Institute of Horticulture Studies & Research, Amity University, Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India
² Amity Food and Agriculture Foundation, Amity University, Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India

^* Correspondence: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

The study aimed to develop sodium alginate-based coating functionalized with cinnamon essential oils towards shelf-life extension of cherry tomatoes. Ultrasonication pretreatment and hydro distillation methods were used to extraction of essential oils from cinnamon followed by preparation of cinnamon oil nanoemulsion with tween 80 to encapsulate in sodium alginate coating. The different concentrations (2.5, 5 & 10% of cinnamon oil nanoemulsion were encapsulated in coating formulations and characterization followed by applications. The nonorange particle size (41.58 nm) with in vivo and invitro antifungal activity against A. alternata of nanoemulsion was confirmed. The application results showed that the encapsulation of lower concentration (2.5%) of nanoemulsion was most effective to maintain the postharvest quality of cherry tomato up to 7 days at ambient storage condition. This study concludes that biopolymer-based cinnamon oil coatings offer a promising, eco-friendly alternative to synthetic fungicides, extending the shelf life and marketability of cherry tomatoes. Future research may focus on applying this formulation to other horticultural crops and evaluating its commercial scalability and sensory impacts on produce.