Beeswax: A review on the recent progress in the development of superhydrophobic films/coatings and their applications in fruits preservation

Seyed Fakhreddin Hosseini; Zahra Mousavi; David Julian McClements

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.136404

Beeswax: A review on the recent progress in the development of superhydrophobic films/coatings and their applications in fruits preservation

Food Chem. 2023 Oct 30:424:136404. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.136404. Epub 2023 May 23.

Authors

Seyed Fakhreddin Hosseini¹, Zahra Mousavi², David Julian McClements³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Seafood Processing, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 46414-356, Noor, Mazandaran, Iran. Electronic address: hosseinisf@modares.ac.ir.
² Department of Seafood Processing, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 46414-356, Noor, Mazandaran, Iran.
³ Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA; Department of Food Science & Bioengineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, 18 Xuezheng Street, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, China. Electronic address: mcclemen@umass.edu.

PMID: 37257280
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.136404

Abstract

Recently, the design and fabrication of bio-inspired superhydrophobic materials using natural lipid additives such as beeswax (BW) have aroused great attention in food packaging as they can minimize the transfer rate of water molecules and have effective moisture barriers. This review discusses the recent progress in the design and fabrication of BW-containing edible films/coatings (e.g., emulsion and blend films, bilayer materials, bionanocomposites, and antimicrobial materials) and their potential applications on the postharvest life and quality attributes of various fruits. Incorporation of BW into polysaccharides- and proteins-based emulsion films effectively improved their hydrophobicity, water vapor, and UV/visible light barrier properties, as well as the film tensile properties. The addition of nanoparticles to BW-based polymeric matrices often results in improved physico-mechanical properties. BW coatings have been also applied to prolong the shelf-life of various climacteric fruits, however, optimization of the wax concentration can be further investigated to develop targeted food storage systems.

Keywords: Beeswax; Fruit preservation; Moisture barrier; Postharvest shelf-life; Superhydrophobic films.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Emulsions / analysis
Food Packaging / methods
Food Preservation* / methods
Fruit* / chemistry
Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions

Substances

beeswax
Emulsions