Development of antimicrobial packaging system foreseeing enhanced storage stability of lotus root (Nelumbo nucifera)

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K07452
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Food science
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: NEVES Marcos 筑波大学, 生命環境系, 准教授 (10597785)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: Food Engineering

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The overall purpose of this research is to enhance the storage stability of lotus root. In order to achieve this goal, in the first year of the project, on one hand we focused on the development of composite films consisting of different combinations of chitosan and nanoclay as a primary step to produce films with enhanced mechanical properties and selective gas barrier, foreseeing their application as packaging material for lotus root, and possibly reduce the browning upon storage.
We also looked into the development and characterization of Oil-in-Water nanoemulsions loaded with natural antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds, for optimum antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. The experimental results indicated that the O/W nanoemulsions loaded with both, nisin and carvacrol, having droplet mean diameter of around 120 nm, were considerably stable under the conditions investigated (up to 1 week storage at room temperature).

Free Research Field

Agricultural Sciences