The effect of bacterial cellulose (BC) active membranes incorporated with pomegranate peel extract (PPE), green tea extract (GTE) and rosemary extract (RE) at two concentrations (25 and 50% wt of BC) mounted on the bottom of packaging trays was investigated on the quality attributes of button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) stored at 4 ± 1 °C for 15d. RE showed the highest antioxidant property but the antimicrobial activity of PPE was more than other extracts. The lower weight loss of mushrooms was observed for RE50%. PPE and RE had the highest and lowest effects, respectively on preserving of total phenol and ascorbic acid contents. The GTE was more effective in preserving the color of mushrooms. PPE50% showed the lowest microbial counts on the day of 15 (6.5 LogCFU.g−1). The overall acceptability of mushrooms packaged in contact with PPE loaded membranes still remained good and within limit of marketability after 15 days of storage.

Practical applications

Button mushroom is widely cultivated in many countries. The rate of postharvest deterioration of mushroom could be decreased by choosing of a suitable packaging system. In this study, a novel active packaging based on natural herbal extracts is proposed for shelf life extension of mushroom. The fabricated active membrane is useful also for other fruits and vegetables that microbial growth and respiration are the major aspects of their spoilage. The fabricated active membranes in this research, could be utilized in postharvest processing section of agriculture and food packaging and preservation industry.