Gum Arabic edible coating and its application in preservation of fresh fruits and vegetables: A review

Abstract

• Recent application of Gum Arabic coating to fruits and vegetables was reviewed. • Addition of active ingredients improves the coating functionality. • Gum Arabic coating maintains the qualities of fruits and vegetables. • Information is required on the commercial viability of Gum Arabic coating. Gum Arabic is a polysaccharide polymer that occurs naturally and is widely employed in the biological industry. It is being gotten primarily from the Acacia Senegal and Acacia Seyal trees. Recently Gum Arabic has been used as a postharvest edible coating and has attracted much interest due to its capability to maintain quality and increase the shelf-life of fresh produce. It is an effective food preservative due to its favorable emulsifying, stabilizing, binding, and shelf-life-extending capability. This review highlights the most relevant and current knowledge on using Gum Arabic in postharvest shelf life extension and preservation of fruits and vegetable quality. The effect of Gum Arabic edible coating on physiological response, physicochemical properties, physiological disorders, phytochemical & antioxidant content, and the sensory quality of fruits and vegetables were discussed. Information regarding the gaps in the literature and prospects of Gum Arabic edible coating application on fruit and vegetables were also highlighted.