DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF EDIBLE FILMS AND COATINGS FROM BUTEA MONOSPERMA AND GUAR GUM FOR PROLONGING TOMATOES FRESHNESS

Abstract

This study develops an edible coating and flexible film from Butea monosperma flower extract and guar gum, assessed using various analytical techniques. Advanced techniques like FTIR, TGA, DSC, FESEM, and XRD provided detailed insights into the film's composition, thermal stability, morphology, crystalline structure, thickness, and mechanical properties. Firmness, TSS, weight loss, and decay % were tracked over a predetermined amount of time during storage. Elongation at the strength of the composite has increased up to 25-35% of its initial length with significant mechanical strength. Antioxidant activity of the BME-containing films was observed significantly higher up to 90.71% from 19.61% of the control film. The firmness of the coated tomato was noticed at around 4.4N whereas the control sample reduced up to 2.25N on the 20th day. Tomatoes were preserved for 20 days with only 3.33% deterioration with the coating, as opposed to 96.67% in the control group. Comparing coated and uncoated samples, the Butea monosperma and guar gum coating significantly reduced weight loss and decay while maintaining higher firmness and TSS. Sensorial analysis of the GGM/BME-coated fruits showed a higher rank of acceptance than control and GGM-coated samples. This eco-friendly coating effectively improves tomato shelf life and quality, offering a viable postharvest preservation method. This study highlights the potential of natural extracts for developing sustainable, eco-friendly packaging solutions to meet growing consumer demand.