Edible coatings based on guar gum and peppermint essential oil alter the quality enhancement of Zagh pomegranate arils during the postharvest supply chain

The preservation of pomegranate arils is challenging due to their short shelf life and susceptibility to fungal agents. The use of chemical antifungal agents raises concerns, leading to the search for safer alternatives to preserve the quality of minimally processed pomegranate arils during storage. The use of edible coatings made from biodegradable materials has become a promising technology for extending the shelf life of coated products by modifying their internal atmosphere. The current study aimed to investigate the influence of Mentha piperita L. essential oil (MEO) (0, 500, and 1000 mu L L-1) combined with guar gum (GG) edible coatings (0, 0.25, 0.5, and 1 mu L L-1) on the quality of "Zagh" pomegranate arils. The arils showed considerable weight loss, higher pH, and maximum escalation in the titratable acidity (TA) with time, while the levels of anthocyanin, ripening index, and antioxidant activity were decreased. After being stored at cold temperatures for 28 days, the aril weight loss of treatments with 500 mu L L-1 MEO and 0.25% GG coating decreased by 16% and 7%, respectively, compared to the control. Arils coated with 0.5% GG (either alone or combined with 500 mu L L-1 and 1000 mu L L-1 MEO) exhibited significantly (p ? 0.01) reduced spoilage losses over the control. The highest total phenol content (276.01 and 275.22 mg GAE 100(-1) FW) was observed in the 500 mu L L-1 MEO x 0.25% GG- and 500 mu L L-1 MEO x 0.5% GG-coated arils. Moreover, the concentration of anthocyanin decreased as the concentration of GG and MEO increased in the treatments. Coating pomegranate arils with 1% GG resulted in the highest antioxidant activity (90.65 +/- 0.12 %DPPHsc). The study demonstrates that the application of lower concentrations of GG (0.25% and 0.5%) and 500 mu L L-1 MEO could be beneficial postharvest treatment for enhancing the quality and extending the cold storage life of "Zagh" pomegranate arils.