INVITED REVIEW
Applications of lemon or cinnamon essential oils in strawberry fruit preservation: A review
Elise Freche,
John Gieng,
Giselle Pignotti,
Salam A. Ibrahim,
Xi Feng,
Elise Freche
Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Packaging, San Jose State University, San Jose, California, USA
Contribution: Data curation, Formal analysis, Writing - original draft
Search for more papers by this authorJohn Gieng
Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Packaging, San Jose State University, San Jose, California, USA
Contribution: Supervision, Writing - review & editing
Search for more papers by this authorGiselle Pignotti
Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Packaging, San Jose State University, San Jose, California, USA
Contribution: Supervision, Writing - review & editing
Search for more papers by this authorSalam A. Ibrahim
Food Microbiology and Biotechnology Laboratory, Food and Nutritional Sciences Program, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
Contribution: Supervision, Writing - review & editing
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Xi Feng
Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Packaging, San Jose State University, San Jose, California, USA
Correspondence
Xi Feng, Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Packaging, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA 95192, USA.
Email: [email protected]
Contribution: Conceptualization, Supervision, Writing - review & editing
Search for more papers by this authorElise Freche,
John Gieng,
Giselle Pignotti,
Salam A. Ibrahim,
Xi Feng,
Elise Freche
Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Packaging, San Jose State University, San Jose, California, USA
Contribution: Data curation, Formal analysis, Writing - original draft
Search for more papers by this authorJohn Gieng
Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Packaging, San Jose State University, San Jose, California, USA
Contribution: Supervision, Writing - review & editing
Search for more papers by this authorGiselle Pignotti
Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Packaging, San Jose State University, San Jose, California, USA
Contribution: Supervision, Writing - review & editing
Search for more papers by this authorSalam A. Ibrahim
Food Microbiology and Biotechnology Laboratory, Food and Nutritional Sciences Program, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
Contribution: Supervision, Writing - review & editing
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Xi Feng
Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Packaging, San Jose State University, San Jose, California, USA
Correspondence
Xi Feng, Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Packaging, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA 95192, USA.
Email: [email protected]
Contribution: Conceptualization, Supervision, Writing - review & editing
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Essential oils are currently being investigated for their potential role as fruit preservatives. They contain a mixture of bioactive compounds that would help preserve fruits without using synthetic chemicals. They can slow or inhibit many fungi and bacteria growth, including Botrytis cinerea, one of the primary pathogens responsible for fruit waste. Lemon and cinnamon essential oils are particularly interesting since they are part of the GRAS list and have well-documented literature on their antimicrobial properties. However, they can potentially alter multiple quality-related physicochemical properties of the fruit. These effects differ depending on the application technique (vapor/edible coating), matrix and the concentration used, etc. This review seeks to clarify the effectiveness of lemon and cinnamon essential oils as a natural preservative by discussing their effects on the physicochemical properties and sensory characteristics of fruits during storage with a focus on strawberries, and potential directions for research.
Novelty impact statement
This is the first review to analyze in-depth the potential role of lemon essential oil and cinnamon essential oil on the quality of fruits. Our paper considers the current information related to food loss and methods for preservation and encompasses an integrative approach to evaluate the effectiveness of lemon and cinnamon essential oil as natural preservatives. The article also discusses current gaps in the literature, informing about potential future investigations related to food preservation.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
The authors have declared no conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Research
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author.
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