Chitosan in the preservation of agricultural commodities / edited by Silvia Bautista-Ba�nos, Gianfranco Romanazzi, Antonio Jim�enez-Aparicio.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

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Chitosan in the Preservation of Agricultural Commodities presents a cohesive overview of research topics regarding the production and characterization of chitosan, the development of coatings and fi lms, its functional properties, and antimicrobial potential of this compound on economically important agricultural commodities. It includes the modes of action from a physiological, enzymatic, and molecular perspective, and evaluations of the activity of chitosan nanocomposites and nanoparticles in biological models. The first section deals with the chemical characteristics and functional properties of chitosan and new chitosan-based biomaterials intended for food preservation. The second section covers various aspects of the control achieved by chitosan on different microorganisms affecting various horticultural commodities, grains, and ornamentals, and its modes of action. The third section explores enzymatic and gene expression induction by chitosan application on fruit and vegetables; the fourth section offers insight on the use of chitosan nanocomposites in biological models associated with food conservation and control of microorganisms.

Cover; Title Page; Copyright Page; Contents; List of Contributors; Preface; Part 1 -- Chitosan Obtention and New Materials Based-Chitosan ; Chapter 1 -- Chemical Characteristics and Functional Properties of Chitosan; Introduction; Chitosan: Definition and sources; Physicochemical characteristics; Crystalline Structure; Degree of Acetylation; Molecular Weight; Functional properties; Solubility and Solution Properties; Structural Capacity; Adsorption Capacity; Reactivity; Biodegradability and Biocompatibility; Bioactivity; Concluding remarks; Acknowledgments; References.

Chapter 2 -- New Bioactive Biomaterials Based on ChitosanIntroduction; Physical and chemical characteristics of chitosan; Production of chitooligosaccharides (COS); Functionalized chitosan; Chemical Modification of Chitosan; Grafting; Enzymatic Modification of Chitosan; Nanocomposites; Applications of chitosan derivatives in agricultural commodities and packaging industry; Characterization of chitosan derivatives molecules; Concluding remarks; References; Part 2 -- Biological Activity, and Mode of Action of Chitosan.

Chapter 3 -- Application of Chitosan in Fresh and Minimally Processed Fruits and VegetablesIntroduction; Apple; Asparagus; Avocado; Banana; Broccoli; Carrot; Citrus; Dragon fruit (pitaya); Grapes; Green beans; Guava; Jujube; Litchi; Mango; Mushrooms; Papaya; Peach; Pear; Plum; Pomegranate; Potato; Radish; Rambutan; Raspberry; Red bell pepper; Squash; Strawberries; Sweet cherry; Sweet pepper; Tomato; Concluding remarks; Acknowledgments; References; Chapter 4 -- Chitosan Protection From Rice Diseases; Introduction; Major rice diseases and control methods.

Antimicrobial activity of chitosan against rice fungal pathogenInduction of rice defense mechanisms by chitosan; Chitosan's protection of rice against diseases under controlled conditions; Prospects and problems involved in using chitosan to protect rice; Concluding remarks; Acknowledgments; References; Chapter 5 -- Integrated Application of Chitosan Coating with Different Postharvest Treatments in the Control of Postharvest ... ; Introduction; Fruit coatings; Properties of chitosan; Chitosan in combination with modified atmosphere packaging; Chitosan in combination with physical treatments.

Chitosan and Heat TreatmentChitosan and Hypobaric Storage; Chitosan in combination with plant derivatives; Chitosan and Essential Oils; Chitosan and Plant Extracts; Chitosan and Plant Gums; Chitosan in combination with organic polymers; Chitosan in combination with organic salts; Chitosan in combination with nanocomposites; Chitosan in combination with organic acids; Chitosan in combination with antagonistic microorganisms; Chitosan in combination with ethyl alcohol; Chitosan and minimally processed fruit and vegetables; Concluding remarks; References.

Chapter 6 -- Use of Chitosan to Control Postharvest Decay of Temperate Fruit: Effectiveness and Mechanisms of Action.