Revestimento ativo desenvolvido a partir do biopolímero de Abelmoschus esculentus (quiabo) incorporado com extrato da própolis

Abstract

Brazilian agriculture is one of the strongest sectors in the national economy. Brazil stands out with the 3rd place in fruit production worldwide and although it is high, the waste of this type of food is also enormous. Among the factors that cause these losses are poor storage conditions, which provided the prospect of deteriorating and pathogenic agents such as fungi. In this context, the application of a coating on fruits can be an alternative to reduce problems related to motivation, thus increasing the shelf life of foods. The objective of this work was to develop a natural coating based on a biopolymer extracted from Abelmoschus esculentus (okra), called mucilage, incorporated with aqueous extract of propolis as a natural additive. This material was applied to strawberry fruits, with the purpose of analyzing the efficiency regarding its useful life and potential antifungal activity. Two distinct methods of micellage were analyzed according to the preparation of okra pods, called methods A (sectioned) and B (crushed) for yield evaluation and characterization according to FT-IR, TGA, contact angle and superficial tension. Two types of coatings were developed using the mucilage applied through method B. M coating, composed of water and mucilage (1% w/v) and MP coating, mucilage and aqueous extract of propolis 15%. Both coatings showed an inhibitory character against the mycelial growth of the fungi Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger. The coating applied on the strawberries contributed to maintain a more attractive appearance, appearing to remain with its natural color during the course of the experiment. Analyzes related to the application and composition of coatings involving okra mucilage involve further studies in order to improve their use, since they showed promising properties.