Application of polysaccharide-based edible coatings to improve the quality of zucchini fruit during postharvest cold storage Castro Cegrí, Alejandro Ortega Muñoz, Mariano Sierra Sánchez, Sandra Carvajal, Fátima Santoyo González, Francisco Garrido Garrido, Dolores Palma Martín, Francisco José Dextrin Oleuropein Olive oil Zucchini Fruit quality Cold tolerance The use of edible coatings has surged as a response to the ever-increasing demand for ecologically-friendly methods for maintaining fruit quality during storage. This study analyses the application of different polysaccharide-based coatings, carboxymethylcellulose, chitosan, dextrin and starch, and the use of a plasticizer agent, glycerol, with dextrin shown to be the most effective in maintaining the postharvest quality of zucchini fruit during cold storage. Subsequently, to improve these results, the nutraceutical additives oleuropein and olive oil, were tested in combination with dextrin. Results showed that dextrin coatings reduced weight loss, chilling injury, and oxidative stress in zucchini fruit at low temperature, maintaining fruit quality. The natural additives obtained from the olive tree showed a higher induction of antioxidant enzymes as well as a greater accumulation of ascorbate and total phenolics, with the dextrin coating with olive oil being even more effective in maintaining the chilling injury low until the end of storage, associated to phenolic metabolism. This type of preservation could be implemented for extending postharvest life and enhancing the overall quality of zucchini fruit. 2023-03-06T07:34:19Z 2023-03-06T07:34:19Z 2023-03-03 info:eu-repo/semantics/article Alejandro Castro-Cegrí... [et al.]. Application of polysaccharide-based edible coatings to improve the quality of zucchini fruit during postharvest cold storage, Scientia Horticulturae, Volume 314, 2023, 111941, ISSN 0304-4238, [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2023.111941] https://hdl.handle.net/10481/80402 10.1016/j.scienta.2023.111941 eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internacional Elsevier