Nanotech extends shelf life of fresh fruit

14 July 2016

According to research by Canadian, Indian, and Sri Lankan partners, nanotech applications of a natural plant extract called hexanal can be used to delay fruit ripening.
Hexanal inhibits a plant enzyme that is responsible for breaking cell membranes during a fruit’s ripening process. In initial research scientists used a hexanal-impregnated formula to test the product on mangoes. Spraying orchards with a low concentration of the compound slowed fruit ripening by three weeks. The team is also developing “smart packaging” systems, made from materials such as banana fibre, that slowly release hexanal to extend storage life after fruit is harvested (News Item Asia Research News, 15 June 2016).
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