Effect of Potato Starch/Guar Gum/Nanoclay/Needle Pine Leaf Essential Oil Packaging Films on Button Mushroom Postharvest Quality

Button mushrooms are highly valued due to their nutritional content, sensory qualities, medicinal properties, ease of harvesting, and low cost. However, their extremely short shelf life significantly hinders their commercial potential. Unlike other fresh vegetables, button mushrooms lack a cuticle to serve as a physical barrier against mechanical damage, water loss, or microbial attack. This study aimed to assess the influence of various concentrations (0, 5, 10, and 20% based on starch) of needle pine leaf essential oil incorporated into potato starch/guar gum/nanoclay films prepared by casting method on the post-harvest shelf life of button mushrooms over a 15-day period. Control samples were packaged without essential oil. The investigation revealed that all mushroom samples packaged with the essential oil-infused films exhibited superior overall quality compared to the control group throughout the storage duration. A positive correlation was observed between increasing essential oil concentration and the preservation of mushroom quality attributes. At the conclusion of the storage period, control samples displayed the most pronounced deterioration in weight loss, firmness, ascorbic acid content, and total phenolic compounds, with respective percentage changes of 44.85%, 76.43%, 66.60%, and 72.23% (p ≤ 0.05). The lowest changes were observed for the same parameters (9.83, 42.15, 44.89, 41.97 (p ≤ 0.05), respectively) in the samples packaged with the film containing 20% essential oil. Therefore, it seems that the developed films have a suitable efficiency in maintaining the quality characteristics of button mushrooms during 15-day storage. Nevertheless, a comprehensive assessment of the influence of other coating constituents (e.g., potato starch, guar gum, and nanoclay) on extending the shelf life of button mushrooms, as well as an evaluation of the coating’s efficacy in prolonging the shelf life of various food products, particularly non-respiring commodities, is essential to broaden the applicability of the proposed technology.