Passion Fruit:

From an organic farm, the researchers isolated, micro-encapsulated, freeze-dried, and powdered the peels of passion fruit, Passiflora edulis Sims. The fruit is renowned for its therapeutic properties. It is primarily grown for concentrated juice on a global scale. The powders serve as useful components of organic food additives. The powders may also provide the qualities required for a stable, edible food coating. This kind of coating can reduce supply network spoilage and plastic packaging.

The University of Johannesburg’s Prof. Olaniyi Fawole claims that when fresh produce is packaged in plastic, the plastic forms a micro-atmosphere that inhibits the damage that oxygen can do to the product.

“Oxygen is the bad guy, it causes a lot of biochemical degradation. So we want to limit the oxygen that gets to the produce. And we also want to limit dehydration. Edible food coatings can potentially solve both the oxygen and dehydration problems in the cold chain,” Fawole said.

Ideal Coating:

Coating the product produces a barrier that reduces interference from a high-oxygen environment. Dehydration is prevented because the covering keeps the fluids inside in place. According to EurekAlert, Coating must have a high antioxidant content and contain antimicrobials in order to help prevent damage brought on by oxidation. A coating that is edible shouldn’t change the product’s flavor, appearance, or color. Fresh fruit slices, which deteriorate even more quickly than entire fruit are prone to microbial exposure.

Microencapsulation Procedure:

Microencapsulated powders are non-hygroscopic for all three carriers and should last up to six months if properly packaged and kept cool and dry.

The polyphenol and antioxidant content of the passion fruit peels were preserved through the microencapsulation procedure. This is important because pH, high storage temperatures, oxygen, light, solvents, antioxidants, and metal ions easily degrade by an industrial process.

Fawole said, Encapsulated powders may be a good substitute for synthetic antioxidants and may have useful qualities like anti-browning and anti-senescence behavior. They additionally have the advantage of being edible. Their levels were examined by the researchers for each powder encapsulation. The researchers carried out metabolomic analyses using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry powders (LC-MS) to determine which polyphenols are present in the microencapsulation.

Vanillic acid glucoside, quercetin, citric acid, gluconic acid, and caffeic acid are polyphenols that have been preserved in the microencapsulated powders in useful proportions. Even if an edible coating or natural food preservative is effective, it is pointless if the raw material is unstable. For example, if it is hygroscopic, it is unsuitable for industrial-scale uses. Passion fruit peel microencapsulated powders are perfect as an active ingredient in natural food additives and edible food coatings, particularly for raw fresh fruit according to the findings of the laboratory.