Food Bioprocess Technol (2010) 3:834842 DOI 10.

1007/s11947-009-0313-9

ORIGINAL PAPER

Selection of an Edible Starch Coating for Minimally Processed Strawberry

Lorena Costa Garcia & Leila Mendes Pereira & Claire I. G. de Luca Sarantpoulos & Miriam Dupas Hubinger

Received: 23 June 2009 / Accepted: 9 December 2009 / Published online: 13 January 2010 # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010

Abstract Edible coatings can represent an alternative for extending post-harvest life of perishable fruits, as strawberries. In this work, the effect of cassava starch edible coatings, added or not of potassium sorbate, on mechanical properties, surface color, sensory acceptance, and respiration rate of strawberries was evaluated in order to choose the best coating conditions to minimally processed strawberries. Integrity and water-vapor resistance of the coatings were also evaluated. Three different concentrations of cassava starch (1%, 2%, and 3%) and two concentrations of potassium sorbate (0.05% and 0.10%) were used in the coatings formulations. Minimally processed strawberries without coating were used as control samples. The strawberries treated with different coatings and control fruits did not present differences regarding mechanical properties, surface color, and all the sensory attributes evaluated. A good integrity of cassava edible coatings on strawberries surface was observed for 2% and 3% starch concentration and the use of coatings, in these concentrations, reduced the strawberries respiration rate, representing a possibility to extend the shelf life of fruits. All coatings showed beneficial effects on increasing the water vapor resistance of the samples, but a significant increase was obtained only with the use of coating with 3% of starch. The potassium sorbate improved significantly the resistance to
Present in the 4th CIGRInternational Symposium on Food and Bioprocess TechnologySection VIFoz do Iguassu (2008)

water vapor, but no differences were observed between the two concentrations studied. Based these results, the coatings with 3% of cassava starch and 3% of cassava starch +0.05% of potassium sorbate were those selected for future shelf life study of minimally processed strawberries. Keywords Strawberry . Respiration rate . Edible coating . Cassava starch . Potassium sorbate . Minimal processing

Introduction Edible coatings have been widely studied in the last years because of evidence about their beneficial effects on fruits and vegetables. Modification of fruits tissue metabolism by affecting respiration rate, extension of storage life, firmness retention, transportation of antimicrobials, antioxidants, and other preservatives and microbial growth control are the main functional advantages attributed to the use of edible films and coatings (Garcia et al. 1998; Lee et al. 2003; Durango et al. 2005; Reinoso et al. 2008; Karimi et al. 2009). Lipids, resins, polysaccharides, and proteins are the commonly used materials in the production of edible coatings. Depending on the desired characteristics, coatings can be made using one type of material or a mixture of them, considering its advantages and disadvantages (Colla et al. 2006). Among the polysaccharides used in the edible coatings formulation, starch is the natural biopolymer most commonly used (Durango et al. 2005). Cassava is produced throughout the Brazilian territory and so represents an important starch source, besides being abundant and cheap. Sorbic acid and its potassium salt (sorbates) are considered GRAS additives and are active against yeast, molds, and bacteria (Sofos 1989). Addition of sorbate to edible films and coatings has been proposed as a way of

L. C. Garcia : L. M. Pereira : M. D. Hubinger (*) Faculty of Food Engineering, University of Campinas, P.O. Box 6121, 13083-862 Campinas, SP, Brazil e-mail: mhub@fea.unicamp.br

C. I. G. de Luca Sarantpoulos Institute of Food Technology, ITAL. Av. Brasil, 2880, P.O. Box 139, 13070-178 Campinas, SP, Brazil

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835 Table 1 Strawberry composition Analysis Moisture (wet basis) Ash Total sugar Fat Total acidity Proten Fiber (by difference) Mean values (%) 89.292.38 0.330.06 6.470.51 0.270.04 0.800.03 0.730.02 2.11

minimizing microbial contamination (Garcia et al. 1998; Fam et al. 2005; Vsconez et al. 2009). Strawberry is a high perishable non-climacteric fruit. It must be harvested at full ripeness to achieve maximum quality in terms of visual appearance (freshness, color, and absence of decay or physiological disorders), texture (firmness, juiciness, and crispness), flavor, and nutritional value (vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and phytonutrients) (Hernndez-Munz et al. 2008). The fruits present a very short shelf-life due to their sensibility to fungal attack and excessive texture softening caused by the natural ripening process (Cordenunsi et al. 2005). The highly perishable fruits, as strawberries, are the main products benefited from coatings, considering not only the economical issue but also its functional advantages. To increase strawberries shelf life, some studies considered the use of different coating materials such as corn and potato starch (Garcia et al. 1998), wheat gluten (Tanada-Palmu and Grosso 2005), cactus-mucilage (Del-Valle et al. 2005), chitosan (Hernndez-Muoz et al. 2006; Vargas et al. 2006), and amaranto flour (Colla et al. 2006). The aim of this work was to study the effect of cassava starch edible coatings, with or without potassium sorbate, on quality attributes of minimally processed strawberries, stored at 5C. Mechanical properties (puncture and compression tests), surface color (lightness, chroma, hue angle), sensory acceptance, and respiration rate of fruits were evaluated, besides the integrity and water vapor resistance of the coatings. Based on these results, coating conditions that can result in an increase on storage time of minimally processed strawberries will be selected to be used in a future shelf life study.

0.05%, and 0.10% of potassium sorbate. The solutions were heated under constant agitation until it reached 70C, which is the gelatinization temperature of the cassava starch, and then allowed to cool to laboratory temperature (23C) (Henrique and Cereda 1999). Fruit Coating Selected strawberries were washed in tap water, had the stems removed, were sanitized in an 80-ppm peracetic acid solution for 3 min, and drained. The fruits were randomly distributed into 10 groups. Nine groups were assigned to one of the nine coating treatments, while the tenth group contained untreated fruits, designed as control samples. The treatments consisted in immersing the fruits for 3 min in coating solutions containing: (1) 1% CS, (2) 1% CS + 0.05% PS, (3) 1% CS + 0.1% PS, (4) 2% CS, (5) 2% CS + 0.05% PS, (6) 2% CS + 0.1% PS, (7) 3% CS, (8) 3% CS + 0.05% PS, (9) 3% CS + 0.1% PS. According to the CS concentration on the coating, 1%, 2%, and 3%, the residual solution was allowed to drip off for 1, 2, or 3 h, respectively. Fruits were packed in polypropylene trays (1258040 mm), wrapped with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) stretch film with 20 m of thickness, oxygen transmission rate of 8200 cmmday1 (25C and 760 mmHg), and water vapor transmission rate of 262 gm day1 (38C and 90% RH). The PVC film was perforated (five 0.45 mm diameter holes) to maintain the atmospheric composition of air inside the package. Samples were stored at 5C until evaluation, which was carried out 24 h after the treatments. Mechanical Properties The strawberries mechanical properties were analyzed by puncture and compression tests using a TA-TX plus Universal Testing Machine (Stable Micro Systems, Godalming, Surrey, UK). For the puncture tests, a 3-mm diameter stainless steel cylindrical probe with a flat end was used. The maximum penetration force (N) was defined as the maximum force

Materials and Methods Raw Materials Strawberries (Fragaria ananassa cv Aroma), grown in Caxias do Sul (RS, Brazil) were purchased in a local market. Fruits were selected based on commercial ripening stage (75% red surface color), uniform size, and absence of fungal infection and physical damage. The strawberry composition, determined according to the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists (AOAC 2005), is shown on Table 1. Cassava starch (CS), with 1719% of amylose content, and food grade potassium sorbate (PS) used in the coating formulations were obtained from Pilo Amidos Ltda. (Guara/PR, Brazil) and Doce Aroma (So Paulo/SP, Brazil), respectively. Preparation of the Edible Coating Solution The edible coatings were prepared using aqueous solutions containing 1%, 2%, or 3% of cassava starch and 0%,

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required to push the probe into the strawberries to a depth of 8 mm at a speed of 2 mm/s. Seven whole strawberries of each treatment were analyzed, being reported the mean value of each treatment. For the compression tests, the maximum compression force (N) was measured using a cylindrical acrylic 60 mm diameter probe, a cross-head speed of 1 mm/s and 80% deformation. Seven whole strawberries of each treatment were analyzed, being reported the mean value of each treatment. Surface Color Colorimetric measurements of strawberry surface were carried out in a Hunterlab spectrocolorimeter (ScanVis, Hunter Associates Laboratory, Fairfax, VA, USA). CIELAB (L*, a*, b*) coordinates were obtained using D65 illuminant and a 10 observer angle as a reference system. L* represents the overall brightness (0) or darkness (100), a* represents the green () or red (+) component and b*, the blue () or yellow (+) component (McGuire 1992). a* and b* values were converted into chroma (C*) and hue angle (H*), according to Eqs. 1 and 2, respectively. L* value was taken from direct measurement. Two readings were taken in different regions of each strawberry, and seven fruits were used per treatment. To avoid the effects of differences in surface color of different fruits, color measurements were made in the same seven fruits, before and after the coating application. r  2 2 C* a* b* ! 2 1

The purchase intention was also evaluated (Meilgaard et al. 1999). Coating Integrity The integrity of the nine different coatings was evaluated using a Stereomicroscope SZ40 (Olympus, Tokyo, Japan). Three samples of strawberries submitted to the different treatments were analyzed. To better visualize the coatings on the strawberries surface, coated samples were stained with an iodine solution containing 2 gL1 of I2 and 20 gL1 KI (Garcia et al. 1998). Iodine-staining technique is of great importance in the integrity of starch-based coating analyzes, since it stains only the starch present in the coating without staining the fruit and thus allows the visualization of the starch coating aspects on the fruit surface. Respiration Rate Respiration rate of the fruits was measured by static method in a closed system using an O2/CO2 Dual Head Space Analyzer (Model PAC CHECK 325, Mocon, Minneapolis, USA). Approximately 50 g of strawberry were placed in 200-mL hermetic sealed glass jars with a silicon septum in the lid for sampling the gas of the headspace. They were maintained in a controlled temperature chamber at 5C, and gas sampling was carried out 1 h after closing the jars (Pereira et al. 2004). The respiration rate of fruits subjected to different treatments was determined in duplicate and expressed in ml CO2 kg1 h1. Water Vapor Resistance

b* H* arctan a*

Sensory Acceptance Sensory acceptance tests were carried out in a standardized test room, 1 day after the coating application (samples were stored at 5C until evaluation). Samples were presented for each panelist in a completely randomized order, in a monadic form and using white saucers labeled with three digit random numbers. The sensorial attributes of the samples (appearance, aroma, flavor, texture, and overall impression) were evaluated by 30 panelists, strawberry consumers, and representative of target public. A 9-cm unstructured hedonic scale anchored with I dislike very much on the left side and I like very much on the right side was used. An average score of 4.5 was considered the limit for acceptability.

Water vapor resistance (WVR) was calculated as described by Garcia et al. (1998), Rojas-Gra et al. (2007), and Tapia et al. (2008). Sliced carrots were used as biological model system to get a simple geometrical shape, with welldefined dimensions, to allow surface area calculation. The exposed area, taken as the upper surface plus the lateral area of the samples, was 11.78 cm2. Coated and uncoated sliced carrots were equilibrated for 24 h at room temperature (231C) in desiccators maintained at 98.9%RH with a 0.6 M NaCl solution. After that, samples were placed in small test cups, weighed in an analytical balance, and placed in desiccators equilibrated at 33.3% RH with saturated MgCl2.6 H2O at 23C. Weight was taken during a 24-h period. Water vapor flux was calculated according to Eq. 3:  FV dP dt    1 A

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where FV is the water vapor transferred per unit of area (g s1 m2); dP/dT is the water vapor transferred (g s1); A is the exposed area (m2). WVR was calculated using the Eq. 4, proposed by BenYehoshua et al. (1985): WVR pi pa 1 Rc T FV 4

where WVR is the resistance of the coating to water diffusion (s cm1); PiPa is the difference between inner and outer water vapor pressure, expressed in mmHg (Pi = aw of the sample Pothat is, the water vapor pressure of liquid water at 23C and Pa =partial water vapor pressure in the environment with 33.3% RH at 23C Po); Rc is the gas constant (3.461 mmHg K1 g1); T is the temperature (K). Control tests with uncoated carrots were performed to determine the resistance factor of the uncoated sample to water vapor. Water activity of samples was measured with an Aqualab Series 3TE (Decagon Devices Inc, Pullman, WA). Statistical Analysis ANOVA, using the software STATISTICA 5.0 (StatSoft, Inc., Tulsa, OK, USA), was used to determine statistically significant differences between the different treatments studied. The analysis of means was performed using the Tukey procedure at p <0.05.

Results and Discussion Mechanical Properties Strawberries mechanical properties, measured either by puncture or compression tests, were not influenced by the use of cassava starch edible coatings with or without addition of potassium sorbate. The results indicate that the edible coatings, studied in these work, did not affect the natural mechanical properties of the strawberry. Fam et al. (2005), studying tapioca starch films containing sorbate, concluded that mechanical properties of the films were affected by sorbate addition with antimicrobial purposes as a result of the interaction between tapioca starch and potassium sorbate and also because of the antimicrobial plasticizer effect. The maximum penetration force of uncoated and coated samples using different starch concentrations (Fig. 1a) did not show statistically significant differences (p >0.05). The incorporation of 0.05% and 0.10% of potassium sorbate on the coatings solutions had also no significant effect (Fig. 1b). According to Hernandez-Muoz et al. (2008), uncoated and strawberries treated with chitosan-based edible coating, added or not with calcium gluconate, presented similar initial firmness values (p 0.05), measured by the puncture

Fig. 1 Maximum penetration force of minimally processed strawberries: a control samples and samples treated with different starch concentrations and b starch coated samples added with different potassium sorbate concentrations. CS cassava starch; PS potassium sorbate. Mean separation by the Tukey test at p <0.05. a Means with the same letter did not differ significantly. b Means with the same letter in a fixed starch concentration did not differ significantly

test. The same was observed by Tanada-Palmu and Grosso (2005) that studied the effect of wheat gluten-based coatings, added or not of beewax, stearic, and palmitic acids, on strawberries. However, significant differences (p <0.05) were found in firmness values between non-coated and coated fresh-cut melon immediately after the application of alginatebased edible coating, added with calcium lactate (crosslink agent) as a consequence of the linkage of calcium ions presented in the coatings with cell wall and middle lamella pectin (Raybaudi-Massilia et al. 2008). No significant changes (p >0.05) were observed on maximum compression force of strawberries, measured by the compression test, after the application of cassava starch edible coating, added or not with potassium sorbate (Table 2). In accordance, initial firmness of strawberries (measured by the compression test) was not influenced by the use of polysaccharide-based edible coatings formulated with starch with different amylose content (Garcia et al. 1998), amaranto flour (Colla et al. 2006), and quitosan-oleic acid (Vargas et al. 2006).

838 Table 2 Maximum compression force (N) of minimally processed strawberries exposed to different treatments Treatments Control 1% CS 2% CS 3% CS 0% PS 21.28a 23.79aA 23.15aA 22.01aA 0.05% PS 21.21A 21.69A 23.98A 0.1% PS 23.15A 23.77A 22.49A

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al. 2008). However, Raybaudi-Massilia et al. (2008) reported that when essential oils were added into the edible coatings, significant differences in this color parameter were observed. Sensory Acceptance Strawberries treated with different concentrations of cassava starch presented good sensory acceptance, with all scores above the limit of acceptability (4.5), for the evaluated sensory attributes appearance, aroma, flavor, texture, and overall impression (Table 4). Treatments did not change strawberry acceptance, since no significant differences (p >0.05) were detected between the non-coated samples and the samples treated with the different coatings. In addition, no significant differences (p >0.05) were observed in the sensory evaluation of samples with or without the potassium sorbate. This indicates that the incorporation on the coating formulation of the antimicrobial agent, on the studied concentrations, did not influence product sensory attributes. The purchase intention was above 60% for all the studied conditions, indicating that the use of the different coatings did not result in sensory rejection of the strawberries. For this reason, cassava starch edible coating may be a good option for strawberry preservation, since it maintains the sensory characteristic of the coated fruit similar to the non-coated. Chiumarelli et al. (2008) also observed good sensory acceptance of mangoes treated with cassava starch-based coatings, with no significant differences (p >0.05) between coated and non-coated samples for the sensory attributes flavor, aroma, and texture. Since films and coatings developed from starch are described as isotropic, odorless, tasteless, colorless, nontoxic, and biologically absorbable, no significant changes on the strawberries sensory quality are expected after the coating application (Nisperos-Carriedo 1994). However, some edible coating materials, like chitosan, may diminish the overall sensory quality of coated strawberries because of the astringent characteristic of the material (Vargas

Mean separation by the Tukey test at p <0.05. Means with the same small letter in a column did not differ significantly. Means with the same capital letter, in the same line, did not differ significantly CS cassava starch; PS potassium sorbate

Surface Color No significant changes (p >0.05) were observed in lightness (L*), chroma (C*), and hue angle (H*) of strawberries, before and after the coating application, indicating the maintenance of the fruit natural color characteristic (Table 3). Color is an important factor in the perception of strawberry fruit quality (Herndez-Munz et al. 2008). Samples of minimally processed strawberries treated with the extreme conditions used in this study (control, 3%CS, and 3%CS+0.05%PS) are presented on Fig. 2. As it can be seen, there is no visually color difference between the control and the treated samples, confirming the color instrumental measurements obtained. According to Del-Valle et al. (2005), the application of a cactus-mucilage-based edible coating also did not modify the strawberries typical lightness. In addition, the use of a quitosan-based edible coating did not result in significant changes of the strawberries natural color, expressed in terms of chroma and hue angle (HernandezMunz et al. 2008). Strawberries and melons, when treated with polysaccharide-based edible coatings, also showed similar chroma values when compared to the uncoated fruits (Ribeiro et al. 2007; Raybaudi-Massilia et
Table 3 Lightness (L*), chroma (C*), and hue angle (H*) values of minimally processed strawberries before and after the cassava starch edible coating application

Treatments

L* Before After 40.91a 38.23a 39.42a 40.48a 39.10a 42.29a 40.18a 41.84a 41.62a

Chroma Before 34.37a 35.34a 33.97a 34.60a 35.04a 35.94a 36.19a 34.86a 36.26a After 34.35a 34.61a 33.21a 34.12a 33.44a 35.13a 33.05a 35.51a 32.38a

Hue angle Before 31.68a 32.57a 30.85a 31.11a 32.57a 32.96a 31.93a 32.90a 32.15a After 32.18a 31.50a 30.21a 31.71a 32.21a 34.23a 30.47a 32.83a 30.66a

Means with the same letter, in the same line, for the same evaluated parameter, did not differ significantly at p <0.05, by the Tukey test CS cassava starch; PS potassium sorbate

1%CS 1%CS 1%CS 2%CS 2%CS 2%CS 3%CS 3%CS 3%CS

+ 0.05%PS + 0.1%PS + 0.05%PS + 0.1%PS + 0.05%PS + 0.1%PS

39.85a 41.08a 40.68a 40.76a 39.43a 40.91a 39.50a 42.21a 40.71a

Food Bioprocess Technol (2010) 3:834842 Fig. 2 Minimally processed strawberries submitted to the extreme conditions used in this study: a control samples; b strawberries treated with 3% cassava starch edible coating; c strawberries treated with 3% cassava starch edible coating added of 0.1% of potassium sorbate

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et al. 2006). On the other hand, edible coatings are able to enhance fruits appearance, by imparting a glossy finish on fruits surface, as observed by Reinoso et al. (2008), when studying the application of whey protein isolate (WPI)-based edible coatings in plums. Coating Integrity

whey protein film and the enhanced plasticization caused by the additional beeswax, along with the increase hydrophobic interaction of the lipid phase with the cuticle layer of the fruit skin, might have contributed to the better coating stability of WPI films containing beeswax in higher concentration (Reinoso et al. 2008). Respiration Rate

The stereomicroscope images of coated strawberry surface permitted a qualitative evaluation of coating integrity (Fig. 3). The application of coatings with higher concentrations of cassava starch (2% and 3%) on the strawberries surface resulted in a thicker and homogeneous cover (Fig. 3b and c). As it can be seen, the whole surface is covered, including the achenes. However, a very thin layer of coating, with some uncovered spaces, was formed on the surface of strawberries treated with 1% of starch coating (Fig. 3a). By stereomicroscope images, it was not possible to visualize any effect, on the coating integrity, as a result of the incorporation of potassium sorbate (a plasticizing agent) to the coating. However, a better coating stability of WPI was observed when higher beeswax concentration, also a plasticizing agent, was used. The beeswax is capable of plasticizing

Cassava starch edible coatings showed a beneficial effect on reducing the respiration rate of minimally processed strawberries, stored at 5C (Fig. 4). It was observed that the respiration rate of strawberries decreased as the concentration of cassava starch on the coating increased. However, the reduction was statistically significant (p <0.05) only for coatings containing 2% and 3% of cassava starch (Fig. 4a). The addition of potassium sorbate on the coating formulation did not enhance the effect obtained by the coatings without the antimicrobial (Fig. 4b). The use of edible coatings containing 1% of cassava starch did not change the respiration rate of minimally processed strawberry, when compared to the uncoated sample, and this behavior can be explained by the thin layer of coating with cracked regions formed on strawberry surface, as observed in

Table 4 Sensory evaluation scores of strawberries submitted to the different treatments

Treatments

Sensory evaluation scores Appearance Aroma 7.1a 7.2a 7.3a 7.2a 7.1a 7.1a 7.2a 6.4a 7.3a 7.5a Taste 5.9a 5.9a 6.4a 6.4a 5.9a 5.3a 5.6a 5.5a 6.2a 6.4a Texture 6.9a 7.0a 6.8a 7.0a 7.1a 6.6a 6.5a 6.6a 6.8a 7.0a Overall impression 6.5a 6.5a 6.7a 6.8a 6.6a 6.3a 6.6a 6.5a 6.7a 6.9a

Maximum test score 9; limit of acceptability 4.5; means with the same letter in a column did not differ significantly at p <0.05, by the Tukey test CS cassava starch; PS potassium sorbate

Control 1%CS 2%CS 3%CS 1%CS + 2%CS + 3%CS + 1%CS + 2%CS + 3%CS +

0.05%PS 0.05%PS 0.05%PS 0.1%PS 0.1%PS 0.1%PS

7.1a 7.1a 7.1a 7.3a 7.2a 7.1a 7.4a 6.7a 6.4a 7.7a

840 Fig. 3 Stereomicroscope images of minimally processed strawberries, treated with different concentrations of cassava starch edible coatings, stained with iodine solution: a 1%, b 2%, and c 3% of cassava starch. Scale bar 0.5 cm

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stereomicroscope images (Fig. 3a). Surfaces covered with the coatings containing higher starch concentrations exchanged less O2 and CO2 with the environment and thus resulted in a decrease on the respiration rate of fruits. The observed results are in agreement with Lee et al. (2003) that observed a reduction in the respiration rate of minimally processed apples, stored at 25C for 24 h due to the use of carrageenan and whey protein concentrate edible coatings. Vargas et al. (2006) also observed a reduction in strawberries respiration rate, stored at 5C for 3 days, with the use of chitosan-oleic acid edible coatings. In both works, the respiration rate reduction is attributed to the atmosphere modification around the fruits caused by the O2 and CO2 gas barrier properties of the coatings. Polysaccharide-based edible coatings can modify the atmosphere surrounding fruits and vegetables and, consequently, reduce their respiration rate, because of the coatings selective permeability to gases as O2 and CO2 (Nisperos-Carriedo 1994). The intensity of change in the respiration rate of fruits and vegetables depends on the coating formulation and also on the storage conditions of the products. Although, in the present work, no significant effect on the respiration rate of whole strawberries was observed when potassium sorbate was incorporated into the starch coatings, a significant reduction was observed on the respiration rate of fresh-cut strawberries submitted to osmotic dehydration when potassium sorbate was added to the osmotic solution (Castell et al. 2006). The action of the antimicrobial on cell membranes probably inhibited enzymatic reactions on the vegetable cell, resulting in lower observed respiration rate. Water Vapor Resistance Cassava starch edible coating was efficient in reducing water vapor flux (WVF) between the carrots (used as a biological model system) and the environment (Table 5). Uncoated samples exhibited the higher WVF and, an increase in the starch concentration resulted in a decrease in the WVF, indicating that the concentration of starch in the coating influenced the water vapor mass transfer on the

system fruit/environment. However, only on the coating containing 3% of cassava starch, the reduction on WVF was statistically significant (p <0.05). This can be explained considering the homogeneity and also the solid matrix formed on the strawberry surface (Fig. 3c), fact that reduces the water loss to the environment. Also, the addition of potassium sorbate, independent of the concentration of cassava starch, resulted in a reduction

Fig. 4 Respiration rate (mg CO2 kg1 h1) of minimally processed strawberries: a control samples and samples treated with coatings containing different concentrations of cassava starch; b starch-coated samples added with different potassium sorbate concentrations. CS cassava starch; PS potassium sorbate. Mean separation by the Tukey test at p < 0.05. a Means with the same letter did not differ significantly. b Means with the same letter in a fixed starch concentration did not differ significantly

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in the WVF through the coating, but only when the antimicrobial was added to coatings containing 2% and 3% of cassava starch, the reduction was statistically significant (p <0.05; Table 5). Tapia et al. (2007) studied the application of alginateand gellan-based edible coatings in papaya and apples and reported higher values of water vapor flux compared to the values obtained in the present work. This suggests a lower barrier property of alginate and gellan, when compared to cassava starch. However, according to the authors, differences related to the type of vegetable matrix and also the matrixpolymer interaction might affect the results. After the coating application, an increase in WVR was observed (Fig. 5), but only the increase provided by the 3% starch-based coating was statistically significant (p <0.05). For the control sample, a WVR = 16.93 s cm 1 was obtained. Control and samples coated with 1% and 2% of cassava starch, presented statistically equal means values of WVR, indicating that the use of those coatings did not enhance the water vapor resistance naturally offered by the vegetable matrix. It is expected that edible coatings enhance the natural water vapor resistance offered by the vegetable matrix, in order to reduce the dehydration of the product. Therefore, considering the hydrophilic characteristic of polysaccharide edible coatings, low increase in the water vapor resistance of the samples is expected after the coating application. According to Reinoso et al. (2008), the addition of a lipid phase (flaxseed oil and beeswax) into WPI-based edible films enhanced the films hydrophobicity, what resulted in an increase in WVR of the films. The potassium sorbate showed additive effect, compared to the coating containing only starch, when added to 2% or 3% starch coatings. According to Fam et al. (2005), the potassium sorbate can exert, besides the antimicrobial effect, a plasticizing behavior. The plasticizers reduce intermolecular forces between the polymeric chains, increasing the flexibility and extensibility of the film.
Table 5 Water vapor flux (103 g m2 s1) of minimally processed strawberries Treatments Control 1% CS 2% CS 3% CS 0% PS 8.20 8.31 7.91 6.53 a aA aA bA 0.05% PS 8.25 A 7.45AB 5.91 B 0.1% PS 8.23 A 7.07 B 5.56 B

Fig. 5 Water vapor resistance (WVR) of coated minimally processed strawberries. CS cassava starch; PS potassium sorbate. Mean separation by the Tukey test at p <0.05. Means with the same small letter in a fixed starch concentration did not differ significantly. Means with the same capital letter did not differ significantly

Because of the increase on the chains mobility, the plasticizers can reduce the formation of pores and cracks enhancing the coating uniformity, increasing, consequently, the WVR (Donhowe and Fennema 1993; Garcia et al. 1998). Based on the WVR results, it can be said that the potassium sorbate also exhibited a plasticizer behavior on the cassava starch edible coatings. The use of plasticizers, either glycerol or sorbitol, in concentrations up to 2%, reduced the water vapor permeability (increased the WVR) of corn and potato starch edible coatings. Similarly, an increase on WVR of polysaccharide coatings (alginate and gellan) was obtained when glycerol was added in concentrations up to 1.75% (alginate coatings) and 0.63% (gellan coatings). However, higher concentrations of the plasticizer, in both studies, led to a decrease in the WVR of the coatings (Garcia et al. 1998; Rojas-Gra et al. 2007).

Conclusions Cassava starch edible coatings, with or without potassium sorbate, did not cause changes in strawberries mechanical properties and superficial color and showed good sensory acceptance. Moreover, the coatings were able to decrease the respiration rate and increase water vapor resistance of the samples. Considering the obtained results, the coatings with 3% of cassava starch and 3% of cassava starch + 0.05% of potassium sorbate were those selected for a shelf life study of minimally processed strawberries.
Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank CNPq and FAPESP for the financial support.

Mean separation by the Tukey test at p <0.05. Means with the same small letter in a column did not differ significantly. Means with the same capital letter, in the same line, did not differ significantly. CS cassava starch; PS potassium sorbate

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