English abstract
The preservation of perishable food products and the prevention of biofouling are important
challenges in meeting the nutritional demands of humans and ensuring the quality of fisheries
products. This study evaluated the effects of chitosan and chitosan composite coatings with
frankincense oil on microbial growth and strawberry quality. Additionally, the impact of
chitosan, chitosan-ZnO, and chitosan composite coatings with frankincense oil on micro-fouling
growth was examined through laboratory and microcosm experiments.
Strawberries were coated with different concentrations of chitosan (1% and 3%) with and
without frankincense oil, and various physical and chemical properties such as color, texture,
moisture content, pH, and total soluble solids were measured. Microbial analysis was also
conducted to assess the effectiveness of the coatings in reducing bacterial growth. The results
indicated that chitosan coatings did not significantly alter the physical and chemical properties of
the strawberries, but they resulted in lower bacterial counts compared to the control group.
Therefore, chitosan with frankincense oil could be considered a viable option for food
preservation purposes.
For antifouling applications, zinc oxide (ZnO) was incorporated into the chitosan and
frankincense oil coatings. Two sets of experiments were conducted: laboratory tests and
microcosm experiments. In the laboratory tests, both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria
exhibited slower growth when exposed to light in the presence of the coatings. However, the
antifouling efficacy of the chitosan-ZnO composite coatings was comparable to that of the
chitosan coatings alone. In the microcosm experiment, the nanocomposite coating consisting of
2% chitosan and ZnO demonstrated the lowest bacterial counts. Therefore, it can be concluded
that the addition of frankincense oil and zinc oxide improved the antifouling properties of
chitosan in both laboratory and microcosm settings.
