A comprehensive study on the potential of edible coatings with polysaccharides, polyphenol, and lipids for mushroom preservation

Edible coatings have been widely explored as packaging substitutes. Application of edible coatings on mushrooms remains under-explored, due to its highly porous nature, with limited benefits to date. Herein, we thoroughly benchmark six polysaccharides, one polyphenol (lignin derivative), and three lipids as edible coatings for mushrooms, namely Agaricus bisporus. The study cross-correlates the dynamics of browning and weight retention, uniquely evaluated in three storage conditions. It was shown that polysaccharide and polyphenol coatings provided notable anti-browning (46 % and 44 % reduction by alginate and pectin respectively) and limited improvements in water retention (e.g., 10 % reduction by alginate and pectin), whereas lipids were found to outstandingly reduce both the mushroom's browning (80 % and 74 % reduction by coconut oil and wax respectively) and maintains weight (169 % and 149 % improvement by wax and coconut oil respectively) in ambient conditions after two days of storage. Scanning electron microscopy was used to explore the film forming potential of the coatings, revealing inadequate surface coverage by polysaccharides and polyphenol. Beyond the benchmarking provided herein, we expect that the analytical and experimental framework provided herein can help fast-track developments of highly efficient edible coating formulations.