Post-Harvest Application of Tara Gum Coating Incorporated With Silver Nanoparticles for Preservation of Banana

The use of natural nanocomposite to increase shelf-life has gained space in the packaging sector. Therefore, this research produced a Tara Gum coating with Silver Nanoparticles (AgNP) for banana cv. Caturra conservation. The AgNP synthesis was optimized by an experimental design, the size as a dependent variable. The best points were: 300 rpm of stirring, the temperature of 25 degrees C, and the reagent flow of 2.5 mL.min(-1). The obtained size was 20.08 +/- 0.17 nm, and Polydispersity Index was 0.321 +/- 0.047 nm. Transmission Electron Microscopy showed smaller particles than 100 nm and dispersed. The rheological study presented the Tara Gum solution as a pseudoplastic fluid, and the addition of AgNP did not alter Tara Gum's rheological behavior. The coating could slow up the fruit skin ripening; withholding in 2 % the weight loss; increasing the resistance; increasing 88 % of malic acid content, while the control sample increased just 24 %; and kept degrees Brix in low levels.