Development and Characterization of Pectin and Beeswax-Based Coatings Enhanced with Anthocyanins and Its Antioxidant and Antifungal Properties

Currently, approximately one third of food is wasted; to counteract this, several novel packaging technologies have been developed to extend its shelf life, among which active packaging stands out. In this research, filmogenic solutions of pectin and beeswax with the addition of bioactive compounds as anthocyanins were developed and characterized to evaluate their potential application as active coatings. The antioxidant and antifungal activity of anthocyanins and coatings were determined, and the rheological properties, pH, color, SEM and FT-IR of the coatings were evaluated. The antioxidant activity of the anthocyanins had IC50 values of 79.52 and 56.14 μg/mL for DPPH• and ABTS•+, respectively, and 0.25% (w/v) for the antifungal activity against Colletotrichum siamense, which was inhibited by 32.16% and had morphological affectations in the fungus. The best formulation for coating was obtained with 3% (w/v) pectin, 1% (w/v) wax, and 1% (w/v) Tween 80, and 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5% anthocyanins were added. The rheological properties showed adequate viscosity values (0.08–0.12 Pa·s), and the pH values were acidic (3.05–3.78) and showed reddish tones. FT-IR analysis showed that the interactions between the components included the C=O stretching band being shifted due to intermolecular interactions and SEM micrographs showed that the film coatings presented continuous areas of pectin with embedded wax crystals. Promising results were obtained for antioxidant and antifungal activity for the coatings. The formulations presented suitable characteristics for their use as active coating in food.