Edible coatings and films (ECF) are employed as matrixes for incorporating antimicrobial nanoparticles (NPs), and then they are applied on the fruits and vegetables to prolong shelf life and enhance storage quality. This paper provides a comprehensive review on the preparation, antimicrobial properties and mechanisms, surface and physical qualities of ECF containing antimicrobial NPs, and its efficient application to vegetables and fruits as well. Following an introduction on the properties of the main edible coating materials, the preparation technologies of ECF with NPs are summarized. The antimicrobial activity of ECF with NPs against the tested microorganism was observed by many researchers. This might be mainly due to the electrostatic interaction between the cationic polymer or free metal ions and the charged cell membrane, the photocatalytic reaction of NPs, the detachment of free metal ion, and partly due to the antimicrobial activity of edible materials. Moreover, their physical, mechanical and releasing properties are discussed in detail, which might be influenced by the concentration of NPs. The preservation potential on the quality of fruits and vegetables indicates that various ECF with NPs might be used as the ideal materials for food application. Following the introduction on these characteristics, an attempt is made to predict future trends in this field.

In this investigation, the effect of different concentrations of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles (NPs) on the structure and antimicrobial activity of chitosan-based coating films was examined. Analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed that the modified TiO₂ NPs were successfully dispersed into the chitosan matrix, and that the roughness of the chitosan-TiO₂ nanocomposites were significantly reduced. Moreover, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses indicated that the chitosan interacted with TiO₂ NPs and possessed good compatibility, while a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of the thermal properties showed that the chitosan-TiO₂ nanocomposites with 0.05% TiO₂ NPs concentration had the best thermal stability. The chitosan-TiO₂ nanocomposite exhibited an inhibitory effect on the growth of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. This antimicrobial activity of the chitosan-TiO₂ nanocomposites had an inhibition zone ranging from 9.86 ± 0.90 to 13.55 ± 0.35 (mm). These results, therefore, indicate that chitosan-based coating films incorporated with TiO₂ NPs might become a potential packaging system for prolonging the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables.

The green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from biological waste, as well as their excellent antibacterial properties, is currently attracting significant research attention. This study synthesized AgNPs from different mango peel extract concentrations while investigating their characteristics and antibacterial properties. The results showed that the AgNPs were irregular with rod-like, spherical shapes and were detected in a range of 25 nm to 75 nm. The AgNPs displayed antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), showing a more significant impact when synthesized with 0.20 g/mL of mango peel extract. Therefore, the antibacterial effect of different diluted AgNP concentrations on the growth kinetic curves of E. coli and S. aureus after synthesis with 0.20 g/mL mango peel extract was analyzed. The results indicated that the AgNP antibacterial activity was higher against S. aureus than against E. coli, while the AgNP IC50 in these two strains was approximately 1.557 mg/mL and 2.335 mg/L, respectively. This research provides new insights regarding the use of postharvest mango byproducts and the potential for developing additional AgNP composite antibacterial materials for fruit and vegetable preservation.

The chitosan-based coating with antimicrobial agent has been developed recently to control the decay of fruits. However, its fresh keeping and antimicrobial mechanism is still not very clear. The preservation mechanism of chitosan coating with cinnamon oil for fruits storage is investigated in this paper. Results in the atomic force microscopy sensor images show that many micropores exist in the chitosan coating film. The roughness of coating film is affected by the concentration of chitosan. The antifungal activity of cinnamon oil should be mainly due to its main consistent trans-cinnamaldehyde, which is proportional to the trans-cinnamaldehyde concentration and improves with increasing the attachment time of oil. The exosmosis ratios of Penicillium citrinum and Aspergillus flavus could be enhanced by increasing the concentration of cinnamon oil. Morphological observation indicates that, compared to the normal cell, the wizened mycelium of A. flavus is observed around the inhibition zone, and the growth of spores is also inhibited. Moreover, the analysis of gas sensors indicate that the chitosan-oil coating could decrease the level of O₂ and increase the level of CO₂ in the package of cherry fruits, which also control the fruit decay. These results indicate that its preservation mechanism might be partly due to the micropores structure of coating film as a barrier for gas and a carrier for oil, and partly due to the activity of cinnamon oil on the cell disruption.

Chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) have attracted wide interest; however, there has been no substantial information about a direct comparison of the antimicrobial activity of CSNPs on bacteria and fungi. Thus, in this study, simple, economically feasible CSNPs were synthesized and assessed for their antimicrobial activity. This investigation indicated that the coordination inducing effect of CSNPs could dissociate the tryptophan (Trp) and tyrosine (Tyr) residue groups on the peptide chain of the bovine serum albumin (BSA) molecule, thereby increasing the absorption intensity. The growth of E. coli and S. aureus could be completely inhibited when the concentration of CSNPs in the solution was higher than 0.6 mg/mL. The CSNPs showed more potent antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli) than against Gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus). In addition, the CSNPs were effective at initiating cellular leakage of fungal mycelia and damping off fungal pathogens, and their antifungal effects were stronger on P. steckii than on A. oryzae. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of the CSNPs was found to be more effective against bacteria than against fungi. This study thus ascertained the antimicrobial activity of synthesized CSNPs against different microorganisms, as well as their different degrees of inhibition.

Blueberries are a rich source of health-promoting compounds such as vitamins and anthocyanins and show a high antioxidant capacity. Thus, considerable commercial and scientific interest exists in prolonging its postharvest life to meet the year-round demand for this fruit. In this investigation, the effect of a chitosan-based edible coating, as well as a chitosan-based edible coating containing nanosized titanium dioxide particles (CTS-TiO₂), on the postharvest quality of blueberry fruit quality was evaluated during storage at 0 °C. The blueberries were treated with a chitosan coating (CTS) and a CTS-TiO₂ composite, respectively. The most suitable chitosan and nano-TiO₂ fraction concentrations to be incorporated in the coating formulation were prepared based on the wettability of the corresponding coating solutions. Changes in firmness, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), ascorbic acid (VC), malondialdehyde (MDA), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), and peroxidase (POD) activities, anthocyanins, flavonoids, total phenolic content, and microbiological analysis were measured and compared. This combined treatment prevented product corruption. Compared with CTS, the CTS-TiO₂ composite coating application effectively slowed down the decrease in firmness, TSS, VC, and TA in the blueberries. Additionally, changes in the total polyphenol, anthocyanin, and flavonoid contents and the antioxidant capacity of CTS-TiO₂ composite coating blueberry fruits were delayed. Therefore, these results indicated that the chitosan/nano-TiO₂ composite coating could maintain the nutrient composition of blueberries while playing a significant role in preserving the quality of fruit at 0 °C.