| Summary: | Bananas’ nutritional value contrasts with their short shelf life and requires preservation such as edible coatings. Polysaccharide-based coatings are advantageous due to their semi-permeable properties. Starch is renewable, but its retrogradation limitation can be addressed by adding gum with hydrocolloid properties. The addition of zinc oxide nanoparticles enhances antimicrobial properties and stability. However, there is limited research on the combination of starch, gum, and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs). Thus, this research aimed to optimise edible coating solutions by varying cassava starch (CS) concentration (1.0-3.0%), xanthan gum (XG) concentration (0.5-1.5%), and ZnONPs concentration (0.5-1.5%) using response surface methodology (RSM). A central composite rotatable design (CCRD) of RSM has generated twenty (20) edible coating solution formulations. The edible coating solutions were prepared, and bananas (Musa acuminate) were dipped into the solutions. The responses were measured after 10 days of storage. The responses fit into a second-order polynomial model with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 99.76% (percentage of weight loss) and 96.72% (firmness). The optimal concentration of the coating solution, which minimises weight loss and retains firmness was found to be 1.0% CS, 1.2% XG, and 0.5% ZnONPs. This research contributed valuable insights into developing an effective edible coating for extending the shelf life of perishable fruits. © 2024, Malaysian Society of Analytical Sciences. All rights reserved.
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