The Individual and Combined Impacts of Ozonation and Chitosan Bio-coating on Health-Promoting Bioactive Substance and Storage Stability of Fresh Aronia

Background The focus of the study is to analyze the individual and synergistic effects of ozone (8 ppm for 5 minutes) and 1% chitosan bio-coating application on enhancing the storability of fresh aronia with high antioxidant and anthocyanin content. The fresh aronia were ozonated (8 ppm 5 min), chitosan-coated, and after being coated after ozonation (8 ppm 5 min), placed in polypropylene (PP) trays and stored for 4 months (+ 4°C). Analyses were carried out on the 1st day, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th months. The pH, Brix, color values, gas concentrations, weight loss, texture profile analyses, fungal development, monomeric anthocyanin, and total phenolic content were analyzed during storage. Results At the end of storage, the weight loss was 0.81% in the ozone group, 0.72% in the coated groups, and 0.68% in chitosan and ozonated ones, while it was 1.2% in the control groups. While the Brix in the control group increased from 18.3 to 20.3; at the end of storage, it was 19.7 in the ozone group, 19.8 in the coated ones, and 19.55 in the chitosan and ozonated ones. While the pH in the control group increased from 3.56 to 3.93, it was 3.8 in the ozone group, 3.82 in the coated ones, and 3.81 in the ozonated and coated groups. The rate of respiration was minimized as the gas composition O ₂ /CO ₂ in the headspace was achieved with the synergistic impacts of ozonation and coating. At the end of the 4th month, while it decreased to 380 gf on average in the control samples, this value was determined as 424 gf in the ozonated ones, 453 gf in the chitosan-coated, and 470 gf in the chitosan-coated samples after ozonation. Ozonation highlighted efficacy in inhibiting mold growth. The extractability of anthocyanin (3314 mg cyn 3-glu/100 g) phenol (660 mg) was significantly enhanced with ozonation at the end of the storage. Conclusion Ozonation and ozonation after chitosan applications demonstrated a significant potential to maintain anthocyanins in fresh berries by improving their extractability and minimizing degradation during storage. Additionally, ozonation positively influenced anthocyanins and total phenolic content. Ozonation was used as an elicitor to improve the bioactive substances in the fresh aronia. It was observed that the combined use of ozonation and chitosan coating enhanced storage stability and bioactive compounds in the fresh aronia.