Conclusions
Both reinforcements (cellulose whiskers and montmorillonite)
improved water vapor barrier of stand-alone alginate–acerola
puree films. When applied as coatings to fresh acerolas, the
alginate–acerola puree film forming dispersions were effective to
extend fruit stability by decreasing weight loss, ascorbic acid loss,
and decay incidence, and by delaying the ripening process. When
nanoreinforcements were added to the film forming dispersions,
the ascorbic acid retention was further improved. The weight loss
of acerolas was mostly reduced by montmorillonite-reinforced
coatings. Moreover, montmorillonite maintained the red color of
the coating anthocyanins, making the visual acceptance of coated
acerolas similar to that of uncoated fruits. The anthocyanin
stabilizing effect of MMT was ascribed to electrostatic interactions
between flavylium cations and the clay platelets, and steric protection
from degradation reactions.