Gustavo A. González-Aguilar

Enhancing Safety and Aroma Appealing of Fresh‐Cut Fruits and Vegetables Using the Antimicrobial and Aromatic Power of Essential Oils

Microbial and aroma attributes are within the most decisive factors limiting safety and sensory appealing of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. Alternatively, several plant essential oils (EOs) are constituted of several volatile active compounds and most of them present antimicrobial potential and had different aroma profile. Considering these premises, this hypothesis article states that safety and aroma appealing of fresh-cut produce could be improved with EO treatment. EOs could prevent fresh-cut fruit decay; however, their volatile constituents could be sorbed by the produce, and according to the aroma notes of the antimicrobial oil, sensorial appealing of odor, and flavor of the treated produce might be affected positively or negatively. Specifically, garlic oil is a natural antimicrobial constituted by sulfur compounds, which are responsible for its odor and antimicrobial properties. Besides, fresh-cut tomato is a highly perishable product that needs antimicrobial agents to preserve its quality and safety for a longer period of time. From the sensorial point of view, aroma combination of garlic and tomato is a common seasoning practice in Europe and America and well accepted by consumers. Once the right combination of flavors between the EOs and the fresh-cut produce has been selected, safety and quality of the treated fruit could be improved by adding antimicrobial protection and extra aroma. Therefore, other combinations between EOs and fresh-cut produce are discussed. This approximation could reinforce the trends of natural food preservation, accomplishing the demands of the increasing sector of consumers demanding tasty and convenient fresh-cut produce, containing only natural ingredients.

Fruit Processing Byproducts as a Source of Natural Antifungal Compounds

Nowadays, there has been an increasing concern of consumers on foods free or with lower levels of synthetic chemical preservatives, because they could be toxic for humans and the environment. Concomitantly, consumers have also demanded foods with long shelf life and fruit producers and processors must deal with the perishable character of its products and the large percentage of byproducts, such as peels, seeds, and unused flesh that are generated by different steps of the industrial process. It has been reported that the wasted byproducts present high contents of antifungal compounds, providing a potential alternative to protect foods or feeds from fungal contamination. The aim of this chapter is to highlight the importance of the integral exploitation of the fruit byproducts, analyzing the current state of the situation. Additionally, the chapter reviews the most recent investigations on bioactive compounds with antifungal properties extracted from fruit residuals and their possible utilization as antimicrobials not only for the food but also for the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.

Plant Essential Oils as Antifungal Treatments on the Postharvest of Fruit and Vegetables

Food safety is one of the major issues related to fresh fruit and vegetables. Microbial growth is one of the most important causes of postharvest fruit losses, being fungi the main causal agent associated with the postharvest diseases. The preservation of the ‘freshness’ quality of these products is relevant due to their economical impact. As an alternative to synthetic preservatives, natural antimicrobial agents have attracted the attention of modern consumers and the fresh produce industry. Particularly, natural antimicrobials based on plant essential oils are gaining support. This chapter is a comprehensive review of the use of essential oils from different sources and their constituents on the control of postharvest fungal decay and overall quality preservation of fresh fruit and vegetables. Emphasis has been on the sources of essential oils and their constituents studied up to now, and their effects on controlling postharvest fungal decay, either in vitro or in vivo, and their effect on overall quality and storage life of fresh commodities.

Effect of Elicitors in the Nutritional and Sensorial Quality of Fruits and Vegetables

Abstract Phytochemicals are a group of compounds found in fruits and vegetables with different proven health benefits to consumers. There is evidence of different strategies to enhance the concentration of these compounds; one of these approaches is the use of elicitors. Elicitation has been used to trigger different defense responses in plants, which lead to different mechanisms, such as activation of enzymes related with secondary metabolism. Enzymes like phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), l -galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase ( l -GalLDH), lycopene β-cyclase (LCYB) and gamma tocopherol methyl transferase (γ-TMT) have been activated by the application of an elicitor in different plants. In this chapter, the effects of different elicitors on the activation of enzymes involved in generation of secondary metabolites as protective compounds are discussed.