# Corn Waste Arabinoxylans with Zinc and Thymol Nanohydroxides Coating for Salmonella enterica Survival on Cherry Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme)

## TL;DR

This study developed an edible coating from corn waste that reduces Salmonella on cherry tomatoes while preserving their quality.

## Contribution

A novel edible coating using nanohybrids of zinc and thymol in arabinoxylan is proposed for food safety and quality preservation.

## Key findings

- AXHT coating reduced weight loss and preserved physicochemical properties of cherry tomatoes during storage.
- AXHT reduced Salmonella survival by 25-45% after 12 days of storage.
- The coating showed 90% ABTS radical inhibition, indicating strong antioxidant activity.

## Abstract

This research focused on the development of an edible coat made of corn waste arabinoxylan enriched with nanohybrids of zinc layered hydroxide salt and thymol (ZnHSL, ZnHSL-T). The crystallographic phase was confirmed with XRD (ICDD card 07-0155) and SEM. Filmogenic solutions prepared with the polysaccharide (AX) containing thymol (T), ZnHSL, and ZnHSL-T (AXT, AXH, and AXHT, respectively) were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, color, thickness, transparency, and moisture content, where AXHT exhibited the thinnest layer. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of the coatings was evaluated by the inhibition of ABTS radical, proving that thymol was present in the filmogenic solutions with inhibitions of 90%. Also, edible coatings were applied on cherry tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme) and stored for 12 days, a period during which physicochemical properties (weight loss, color, lycopene content, soluble solids, pH, and titratable acidity) and Salmonella survival (serovar Enteritidis, Typhimurium, and Montevideo) were evaluated. Results demonstrated that AXHT had less weight loss than the control, and the other physicochemical properties of tomatoes were preserved. Regarding pathogen adherence, AXHT reduced the bacterial survival for Salmonella Enteritidis, S. Typhimurium, and S. Montevideo in 25, 30, and 45%, respectively, by day 12. The findings of this research demonstrate the application of nanotechnology to biopolymers, enabling the production of safer foods with acceptable quality parameters for consumers.