Edible composite coatings represent an alternative approach to reducing postharvest losses and extending the shelf life of perishable fruits. This study developed a nano-biopolymer coating by integrating pullulan (PUL), nano-silica (Nano-SiO2), and tea polyphenols (TP) to retard deterioration in cherry tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme). Optimized through response surface methodology (0.06% Nano-SiO2, 0.1% TP, 1.8% PUL, 0.77% glycerol), the resulting Nano-SiO2/PUL/TP composite film showed improved barrier properties (water vapor permeability, WVP: 0.2063 g·mm·m−2·h−1·kPa−1) and increased mechanical strength (tensile strength, TS: 2.62 MPa; elongation at break, EB: 67.67%), which may be attributed to a homogeneous microstructure stabilized via intermolecular hydrogen bonding. The composite coating exhibited significant (p 6.0) and commercial value while extending shelf life from 9 to 15 days. These results suggest that the Nano-SiO2/TP/PUL composite coating may serve as a preservative for extending the shelf-life of cherry tomatoes by effectively reducing decay and mitigating quality degradation.
Huang et al. (2025) studied this question.