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Investigation of the efficacy of a ZnO-starch nanocomposite packaging to prolong the shelf life of fragaria ananassa (strawberries)

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dc.contributor.supervisor Kebaabetswe, Lemme
dc.contributor.supervisor Cosmas, Muiva
dc.contributor.author Chitena, Lorraine
dc.date.accessioned 2023-04-04T19:09:56Z
dc.date.available 2023-04-04T19:09:56Z
dc.date.issued 2022-03
dc.identifier.citation Chitena, L. (2022) Investigation of the efficacy of a ZnO-starch nanocomposite packaging to prolong the shelf life of fragaria ananassa (strawberries) , Master's Thesis, Botswana International University of Science and Technology: Palapye. en_US
dc.identifier.uri http://repository.biust.ac.bw/handle/123456789/554
dc.description Thesis (MSc of Science in Biology and Biotechnology)---Botswana International University of Science and Technology, 2022 en_US
dc.description.abstract Nanomaterials have been used recently in food packaging as antibacterial coatings because of their desirable antibacterial and antifungal properties. The use of antimicrobial packaging is to deter the growth of microorganisms responsible for spoilage or diseases in packaged foods, therefore prolonging their shelf life. In this study, potato peel starch and ZnO-starch nanocomposite paper (ZnO-starch NC paper) were developed and evaluated for antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and antifungal activity against the Botrytis cinerea fungi. The ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were synthesized using the hydrothermal method whilst the ZnO-starch NCs were synthesized by adding the potato starch to the ZnO NPs. The synthesized ZnO nanomaterials and potato starch were characterized using X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and UV-Vis spectrophotometry (UV-Vis). The analysis showed that the nanomaterials were purely synthesized without the presence of impurities. The ZnO starch NC paper was made by coating Whatman filter paper (size 3) with the ZnO-starch NC. The antibacterial/antifungal activity of the ZnO-starch NC paper showed that the nanomaterials were effective against the Gram-positive bacteria S. aureus and B. subtilis but not against the Gram-negative E. coli and P. aeruginosa. The ZnO-starch NC paper was used to package inoculated strawberries in plastic containers for 10 days at 4°C and 27°C, respectively. Quality assays on the incubated strawberries showed that the percentage weight loss and bacterial counts of the fruits packaged with the ZnO-starch NC paper at 4°C were lower than those packaged without the ZnO-starch NC paper. The fruits incubated with the NPs were seen to be more acceptable in appearance and sensory value than their respective controls. In conclusion, the ZnO-starch NC paper was able to prolong the shelf life of strawberries for longer at lower temperatures. Hence, this nanomaterial could be used to explore nano-packaging for prolonging the shelf life of fruits. en_US
dc.description.sponsorship Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) en_US
dc.language.iso en en_US
dc.publisher Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) en_US
dc.subject ZnO nanoparticles en_US
dc.subject Antimicrobial packaging en_US
dc.subject Antibacterial coating en_US
dc.subject ZnO-starch nanocomposite en_US
dc.subject Antibacterial and antifungal properties en_US
dc.subject Fragaria ananassa en_US
dc.title Investigation of the efficacy of a ZnO-starch nanocomposite packaging to prolong the shelf life of fragaria ananassa (strawberries) en_US
dc.description.level msc en_US
dc.description.accessibility unrestricted en_US
dc.description.department bsb en_US


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