Physicochemical and microstructural properties of edible film simulating the cell wall of wheat aleurone and its regulation of post-harvest apricot moisture

Summary Post-harvest apricot fruits are susceptible to moisture loss and disease leading to quality deterioration. Herein, we identified that the cell wall of the wheat grain regulated the hydration properties of grains. Arabinoxylan/β-glucan/ferulic acid/cellulose (ABF-C) composite films simulating the cell wall of the wheat aleurone layer were prepared and showed excellent thermodynamic properties and hydration properties. Meanwhile, the decay percentage, weight loss percentage and respiration intensity of apricot fruits at 35 days of storage were greatly decreased by 23.5%, 23.93% and 39.95%, respectively, and the shelf life of apricot fruits was extended by 7 days after the coating ABF-8%C composite film treatment. The ABF-C composite films effectively prevented the dissipation of moisture of high mobility in apricot fruits during storage. We provide new insight into moisture regulation mechanism of edible films simulating cell wall structure on post-harvest fruits.