Chitosan as a Coating for Biocontrol in Postharvest Products: A Bibliometric Review

The aim of this work was to carry out a systematic literature review focused on the scientific production, trends, and characteristics of a knowledge domain of high worldwide importance, namely, the use of chitosan as a coating for postharvest disease biocontrol in fruits and vegetables, which are generated mainly by fungi and bacteria such as Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus stolonifera, and Botrytis cinerea. For this, the analysis of 875 published documents in the Scopus database was performed for the years 2011 to 2021. The information of the keywords’ co-occurrence was visualized and studied using the free access VOSviewer software to show the trend of the topic in general. The study showed a research increase of the chitosan and nanoparticle chitosan coating applications to diminish the postharvest damage by microorganisms (fungi and bacteria), as well as the improvement of the shelf life and quality of the products.


Introduction
The most effective and used edible coatings for the protection of fruits and vegetables are made up one or more natural polymers such as cellulose [1], alginate [2], gellan [3], pectin, starch and its derivatives [4], methylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose [5], Arabic gum [6], whey protein concentrate [7], and chitosan or chitosan nanoemulsion [8,9]. Chitosan is a deacetylated form of chitin, (poly β-(1→4) N-acetyl-d-glucosamine), and is the second most abundant biopolymer found in nature after cellulose, with prominent film-forming properties, non-toxicity, biodegradable and biocompatible properties, high mechanical strength, and excellent antimicrobial activity [10], and it has been used as a coating in various foods [11]. Furthermore, chitosan has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) as a food additive and listed as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) in the USA and Japan [6,10].
In the last years, chitosan has gained more attention from researchers due to its broadspectrum activity and high destruction rate against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria [12] and filamentous fungi [13][14][15]. However, its quality, chemical and biological properties, and therefore its applications are closely related to numerous intrinsic and extrinsic factors such as the degree of deacetylation (DD) [16,17], molecular weight, viscosity, sources, and extraction pathway [18]. Chitosan is a polysaccharide mainly obtained from invertebrates; insect cuticles; fungal cell walls; green algae; yeast; crustacean shells 2. Biobliometric Analysis 2.1. Steps of Bibliometric Analysis 2.1. 1

. Methodology of Data Collection
Data for this research were collected from the Scopus database, specifically on 14 April 2021, covering 10 years from 2011 to 2021. For this, a Boolean search string was used. First, the search was realized for those coming from the relevant keyword fields (e.g., chitosan, postharvest, biocontrol, fungi, and phytopathogens). Subsequently, the Scopus service was used, with the option to combine searches, using the "Combine queries" field, where the syntax applied is the # symbol with the "OR" and "AND" operators. The Scopus database query was as follows: ((TITLE- ) AND (LIMIT-TO (DOCTYPE, "ar")) AND (EXCLUDE (EXACTKEY-WORD, "Human")) AND (EXCLUDE (EXACTKEYWORD, "Animal")) AND (LIMIT-TO (LANGUAGE, "English")) AND (EXCLUDE (EXACTKEYWORD, "Titanium")) AND (EX-CLUDE (EXACTKEYWORD, "Biomedical Applications")); in order to limit the topic additional phrases, (AND (LIMIT-TO (EXACTKEYWORD, "Fruits"))) was added into the query string, which resulted in 92 articles [32,33].

Methodology of Analysis, Identification and Obtaining Map
The total number of searches resulted in 875 publications (from January 2011 to 14 April 2021). The raw data obtained (CSV Format) from Scopus was analyzed using the VOSviewer software (www.vosviewer.com, accessed on 25 March 2021; Van Eck and Waltman, 2009-2020, version 1.6.15, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands) for the construction and bibliometric visualization of networks of institutions, countries, keywords, and citations per article.

Methodology of Analysis of Further Analysis
SigmaPlot ® software (SigmaPlot 12.0, Systat Software, Inc. SigmaPlot for Windows. San Jose, CA, USA) was used to design and produce the graph shown in Figure 1; then, the "Dynamic fit wizard" plugin was applied for curve fitting, using a linear regression model. The obtained equation was Equation (1).
where Y = response (number of published papers); x = years; a = the line's slope, a parameter that describes the steepness of the curve; and y 0 = intercept.

Methodology of Analysis, Identification and Obtaining Map
The total number of searches resulted in 875 publications (from January 2011 to 14 April 2021). The raw data obtained (CSV Format) from Scopus was analyzed using the VOSviewer software (www.vosviewer.com, accessed on 25 March 2021; Van Eck and Waltman, 2009-2020, version 1.6.15, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands) for the construction and bibliometric visualization of networks of institutions, countries, keywords, and citations per article.

Methodology of Analysis of Further Analysis
SigmaPlot ® software (SigmaPlot 12.0, Systat Software, Inc. SigmaPlot for Windows. San Jose, CA, USA) was used to design and produce the graph shown in Figure 1; then, the "Dynamic fit wizard" plugin was applied for curve fitting, using a linear regression model. The obtained equation was Equation (1).
where Y = response (number of published papers); x = years; a = the line's slope, a parameter that describes the steepness of the curve; and y0 = intercept. Figure 1 shows the number of scientific publications per year, limiting this research to a period from January 2011 to 14 April 2021. It can be observed that the temporal evolution between the number of articles versus years, in this field of research, has had linear growth in the last decade. This data indicates that researchers have focused on increasing the number of publications on this topic due to the use of chitosan coatings as a preservation technique potentially decreasing antimicrobial and antifungal activity when applied to different fruits and vegetables. From 2011 to 2013, few documents per year were published on the subject (11,34, and 41, respectively), but these have increased. It should be  Figure 1 shows the number of scientific publications per year, limiting this research to a period from January 2011 to 14 April 2021. It can be observed that the temporal evolution between the number of articles versus years, in this field of research, has had linear growth in the last decade. This data indicates that researchers have focused on increasing the number of publications on this topic due to the use of chitosan coatings as a preservation technique potentially decreasing antimicrobial and antifungal activity when applied to different fruits and vegetables. From 2011 to 2013, few documents per year were published on the subject (11,34, and 41, respectively), but these have increased. It should be noted that the year 2021 only covered the period until April. In order to perform the data analysis and have it be explained by a linear regression model using the best fit (R 2 = 0.9859) of the results, we did not consider this year and only included studies until the year 2020, as shown in Figure 1 158 or 159 published documents are forecast. However, it is an issue that requires intensive research, and therefore a greater number of publications on the topic is expected.

Keyword Analysis
In all published documents, the central focus of an article is highlighted using keywords, which are essential and facilitate mapping for readers [32] so that their analysis is necessary. One method is by word cloud (Figure 2), which provides a first view of the dataset, allowing us to explore and visually analyze, as well as to size and create the first classification for our data. The size of the words "chitosan" and "coatings" suggests that in most research, these words have been the most persistent theme. However, this technique only provides qualitative information, and therefore it is necessary to execute a more in-depth analysis. noted that the year 2021 only covered the period until April. In order to perform the data analysis and have it be explained by a linear regression model using the best fit (R 2 = 0.9859) of the results, we did not consider this year and only included studies until the year 2020, as shown in Figure 1. According to the equation obtained for the year 2021, 158 or 159 published documents are forecast. However, it is an issue that requires intensive research, and therefore a greater number of publications on the topic is expected.

Keyword Analysis
In all published documents, the central focus of an article is highlighted using keywords, which are essential and facilitate mapping for readers [32] so that their analysis is necessary. One method is by word cloud (Figure 2), which provides a first view of the dataset, allowing us to explore and visually analyze, as well as to size and create the first classification for our data. The size of the words "chitosan" and "coatings" suggests that in most research, these words have been the most persistent theme. However, this technique only provides qualitative information, and therefore it is necessary to execute a more in-depth analysis. A more accurate method is the co-keyword cluster mapping (Figure 3), obtained from author keywords. Here, the software (VOSviewer) analyzed the 84 most frequently terms, and each one of them was repeated at least six times. It is imperative to mention that each circle represents a keyword, and its size indicates its appearance frequency in the articles. Data analysis generated nine clusters marked with different colors, e.g., the first cluster (in red) contained 19 terms, with "chitosan" being the most frequent term, with a greater node keyword, closely associated with the 81 terms belonging at the nine clusters, but mainly with largest nodes such as "edible coating, coating, shelf life, antibacterial activity". A more accurate method is the co-keyword cluster mapping (Figure 3), obtained from author keywords. Here, the software (VOSviewer) analyzed the 84 most frequently terms, and each one of them was repeated at least six times. It is imperative to mention that each circle represents a keyword, and its size indicates its appearance frequency in the articles. Data analysis generated nine clusters marked with different colors, e.g., the first cluster (in red) contained 19 terms, with "chitosan" being the most frequent term, with a greater node keyword, closely associated with the 81 terms belonging at the nine clusters, but mainly with largest nodes such as "edible coating, coating, shelf life, antibacterial activity".
VOSViewer software can also reflect the trend, impact and evolutionary process of the topic's high-frequency keywords involving "chitosan" and its many applications. The overlay display map, showing the gradient color from blue to yellow, indicated the average citation score of a keyword reported by Guo et al. [34] (Figure 4). It is important to note that the node's color also determined when the term or keyword was introduced for the first time in the network [14]. Our analysis allowed us to visualize the fact that these issues will continue to take hold in the future. In particular, it was observed that from 2019, the topics "shelf life, preservation, nanoparticles" and "antibacterial properties" began to gain greater importance. These results could be significant for the scientific development research that involves the topic of food waste that generates so many economic losses. On the other hand, the most important group of terms is related to studies where the co-occurrence network is present for words such as "edible coating", "antifungal", "postharvest", and "antibacterial or antimicrobial activity". These words seem to be an issue related to increasing the shelf life of fruits and vegetables, as shown in the literature review carried out in Section 3.4. The most important terms in the keyword map can be an idea generator for researchers. For example, the generation of coatings involved added nanoparticles for protection and longer shelf life of different foods. However, much research is still needed to establish the existing interactions between food matrices and these coatings. VOSViewer software can also reflect the trend, impact and evolutionary process of the topic's high-frequency keywords involving "chitosan" and its many applications. The overlay display map, showing the gradient color from blue to yellow, indicated the average citation score of a keyword reported by Guo et al. [34] (Figure 4). It is important to note that the node's color also determined when the term or keyword was introduced for the first time in the network [14]. Our analysis allowed us to visualize the fact that these issues will continue to take hold in the future. In particular, it was observed that from 2019, the topics "shelf life, preservation, nanoparticles" and "antibacterial properties" began to gain greater importance. These results could be significant for the scientific development research that involves the topic of food waste that generates so many economic losses. On the other hand, the most important group of terms is related to studies where the co-occurrence network is present for words such as "edible coating", "antifungal", "postharvest", and "antibacterial or antimicrobial activity". These words seem to be an issue related to increasing the shelf life of fruits and vegetables, as shown in the literature review carried out in Section 3.4. The most important terms in the keyword map can be an idea generator for researchers. For example, the generation of coatings involved added nanoparticles for protection and longer shelf life of different foods. However, much research is still needed to establish the existing interactions between food matrices and these coatings.  On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4, the keyword "chitosan", highlighted with the larger circle in blue, also determined a central position, indicating its importance and direct connection with other smaller nodes such as "fruit coating", "useful life", "strawberry", "mango", "guava", "tomato", and "papaya". Terms that gain importance as will be seen later.

Keyword the Top 20 Most-Cited Documents
On the other hand, Table 1 shows the top 20 most-cited articles, extracted from the search of 875 documents. Obtained data such as the year of publication, authorship, journal title, publication count, and citation count were analyzed. Due to the high quantity of published papers, our analysis focused on the most highly cited papers and those related On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4, the keyword "chitosan", highlighted with the larger circle in blue, also determined a central position, indicating its importance and direct connection with other smaller nodes such as "fruit coating", "useful life", "strawberry", "mango", "guava", "tomato", and "papaya". Terms that gain importance as will be seen later.

Keyword the Top 20 Most-Cited Documents
On the other hand, Table 1 shows the top 20 most-cited articles, extracted from the search of 875 documents. Obtained data such as the year of publication, authorship, journal title, publication count, and citation count were analyzed. Due to the high quantity of published papers, our analysis focused on the most highly cited papers and those related to the keyword "fruits", which generated 92 documents, analyzed as described in Tables 2-4. It should be noted that the 20 most-cited articles were all published between 2011 and 2015, with a citation range from 109 to 258, where the highest rated was Arakha et al. (2015) [35]. This study was published in Scientific Reports and intended to explore the interaction pattern role of the iron oxide nanoparticle (IONP)-bacteria interface that enhances the antimicrobial activity of IONP using positively charged chitosan. In analyzing the rest of the authors and the most cited scientific papers in the domain under study, we noted the importance of the use of chitosan and its multiple applications as well as their effect as a coating in various fruits. In this sense, the second most cited document [40] reported the use of chitosan as an effective control in reducing weight loss, maintaining firmness, delayed changes in the peel color, and soluble solids in papaya (Carica papaya L.), which is one of the most important fruit crops in the world and has a short post-harvest life. However, it did not study the damage by opportunistic plant pathogens capable of producing diseases or loss of crops, which has led to countless studies, as shown in Tables 2-4.
It is worth noting that the emerging interdisciplinary field of nanotechnology has been a recurring phenomenon in recent studies, as shown in Table 1, with the highest cited document or the documents published by various authors [36][37][38][39].

Review of Documents with Keyword "Fruits"
Exceptionally, the co-occurrence between keywords allows for the generation of knowledge in search of a common goal. Over the past decade, researchers around the world have developed many different methods to minimize postharvest fruit loss because they have the highest waste rates of any food product (45% waste [55]), which is a global problem. A novel method is the use of chitosan coatings as well as their different combinations with other polymers or with essential oils or nanoparticles, among others, as shown in Table 2. This allows for the storage period to be increased in order to postpone the deterioration of fruits and vegetables and preventing the growth of microorganisms transmitted by food on the surfaces of the products. Chitosan incorporated with olive oil residues [56] Rhizopus stolonifera B Brown spots and softening by rotting Chitosan as gel, nanoscale particles or nanocomposite [13] Botrytis cinerea C Black mold (black rot) Coatings with cellulose, chitin, and chitosan nanomaterials [1] Chitosan functionalized by acylation with palmitoyl chloride and essential oils of limonene and peppermint [43] Blueberries and cherry tomatoes Chitosan thymol nanoparticles prepared by ionic gelation [57] Cherry tomatoes Chitosan with thyme oil [67] Vanillin-chitosan and zeolite or activated carbon [68] Chitosan, carboxymethyl cellulose, and vanillin [69] Avocado (Persea americana) Chitosan nanoparticles and chitosan biocomposites with pepper tree essential oil [70] Papaya (Carica papaya L.) Aloe vera-chitosan composite [71] Colletotrichum fragariae Anthracnose crown rot Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duch) Chitosan functionalized with cinnamon essential oil and aqueous extract of Roselle calyces [72] Aspergillus flavus  Chitosan-mesoporous silica nanoparticle [73] Burkholderia seminalis Fruit rot Apricot fruit Acid-soluble and water-soluble chitosan [74] The letters correspond to the fungi worked by each author: Letter A, B, and C correspond to [13]; letter B corresponds to [56], and letter C corresponds to [1].
It was observed that there is plenty of research involving published studies concerning the antimicrobial and antifungal activity of chitosan as well as a combination with other polymers or the application of different essential oils against foodborne pathogens. However, of the total reports (875 documents published), only 93 documents with the keyword "fruits" were analyzed due to the importance of this kind of food. The findings mentioned below and those in Tables 2-5 correspond to these documents.

Molds and Yeasts
Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) Chitosan b enriched with pequi peel extract [96] Strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa) Peony extracts (Paeonia rockii) dispersed in chitosan [97] Quinoa protein-chitosan-sunflower oil [98] Recently, the impact of preharvest foliar spraying with chitosan and postharvest aloe vera gel coating (AVG) on the quality of table grapes during storage was evaluated, thereby extending the shelf life of the fruit up to 15 days by significantly reducing the decomposition index [99]. The relevance of this study marks an important stage in the supply chain (pre-harvest) in which there is little research. Another recent finding is the production of edible coating films based on Pickering emulsions, which showed a smaller droplet size, narrower size distribution, and improved stability. These could inhibit the growth of typical spoilage organisms such as S. aureus and E. coli in order to preserve fruits and vegetables [100]. In 2020, Jung et al. [101] applied this method by adding oleic acid and cellulose nanocrystal in "Bartlett" pears (Pyrus communis L.) for delaying ripening and superficial scald during the long-term cold storage. Tables 2-4 show studies concerning the application of chitosan as an antimicrobial and antifungal to maintain fruit and vegetable quality at the postharvest stage. It is highlighted that several studies have focused on reducing the antifungal activity of Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus stolonifera, Botrytis cinerea, P. expansum, Alternaria alternate, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, etc. In some studies, the antifungal activity of chitosan depends on the extraction procedure, the deacetylation percentage, molecular weight, or the microstructure of the fruit and the interaction of the coating material.
For this purpose, mixtures of chitosan and some other materials have also been used, as shown in Table 5; these results indicated that the coatings could reduce the damage in different fruits or vegetables.
Moreover, other studies have addressed that the chitosan coating applied in pummelo fruit mitigates the development of juice sac granulation and delays postharvest senescence in the same fruit during room temperature storage [117], and in eggplant cultivars (purple long, purple round, and white long), chitosan was effective in minimizing weight loss, maintained quality, and prolonged storability with good appearance and overall acceptability [118]. However, it is necessary to conduct more research focused on combinations of adequate techniques and different coating materials that consider the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that affect food, as well as allowing for enhancement of shelf life and decreases in the amount of waste. Table 5. Coating materials mixture with chitosan applied to extend the shelf-life and improve the quality of fruits.

Fruit Coatings Results Reference
Le Conte pears Chitosan-beeswax-based The use of coatings improved quality parameters by successfully showing a decrease in weight loss, deterioration, and softening rate. [119] Strawberries Chitosan and apple peel polyphenols composite The weight loss, decay percentage, and senescence were reduced and maintained quality attributes of the fruits during storage. [120] Chitosan-whey protein isolate A considerable reduction in color indices, weight loss, pH, and titratable acidity; reduction in sugars, ascorbic acid, and total phenolics was noted. [102] Three different forms of chitosan by decoloration method, without the decoloration step and the deproteinization step Chitosan coatings delayed changes in weight loss and the appearance of fungal infection. [103] Strawberries (Fragaria × ananassas Duchesne ex Rozier 'Earliglow') Chitosan solutions of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 g/100 mL Coatings can maintain high antioxidant levels and high-antioxidant enzyme activities and inhibit increased oxidative enzyme activity to reduce moisture loss and delay senescence. [48] Strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa cv. Camarosa) Chitosan-lemon essential oil Pure chitosan promoted the formation of esters and dimethyl furfural, while coatings containing lemon essential oil incorporated terpenes (limonene, γ-terpinene, p-cymene, and α-citral) to the volatiles of the fruit and improved the fermentation process, modifying the typical fruit aroma composition.
[104] The results showed a decrease in weight loss, reduction of ascorbic acid, and inhibition of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity during the storage period. [105] Chitosan-cinnamon essential oil microcapsules Multilayer coatings made by electrostatic interaction on mangoes slowed down the increase in weight loss and preserved firmness under storage conditions. [106] Chitosan (1, 2, or 3%) Chitosan delayed the climacteric peak, water loss, firmness, and sugar content, as well as decreasing starch degradation, and it was also observed to affect basic mitochondrial respiration. [107] Chitosan, gallic acid, and chitosan gallate The coatings delayed ripening and weight loss and maintained a higher peel membrane stability index as well as the quality of the 'Hindi-Besennara' mangoes during 2 weeks of shelf life. [108] Chitosan solutions of high, medium, and low molecular weight The film-forming properties of chitosan were influenced by molecular weight and significantly affected the postharvest quality of mango fruit during storage. [109] Apricots Alginate, chitosan, and gellan gum The coating prolongs the shelf life and inhibits oxidative enzymes, specifically peroxidase (POD) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO). [3] Guava (Psidium guajava L.) Chitosan (1%, 2%, or 3%) Chitosan suppressed respiratory rate, fresh weight loss, firmness, and skin color with delayed degradation of chlorophyll. [114] Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Chitosan (1.5%) The coating is effective in maintaining less weight loss, having more firmness and slowing the nutraceutical loss that occurs in the postharvest, mainly of the carotenoid lycopene. [110] Cherry tomato Palm stearin, palm kernel olein (PSPKOo), and chitosan of different degrees of deacetylation (DD) (85 and 95%) Chitosan film with 85% DD (MW 300,000 Da) and 31% PSPKOo blend was the most effective in reducing weight loss and maintaining firmness and redness. [111] Chinese kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis Planch) Chitosan enriched with salicylic acid The treatment significantly maintained texture and color, inhibited moisture loss and acidity change, and delayed the decomposition of vitamin C and soluble solids. [121] Chitosan with some olive waste extracts of leaf and pomace extracts Chitosan coating films significantly reduced the gradual decrease in total phenolics, flavonoids, and antioxidants, and relatively improved the nutritional quality of apple during postharvest. [115] Apple (Malus domestica var. Anna) Apples (cv. Golab Kohanz) Nanochitosan emulsion (0.2 and 0.5%) The effect of nanochitosan coating was shown to meaningfully reduce the weight loss, respiration rate, ethylene production, and peroxidase activity of the samples compared to the control. [116]

Fruit Coatings Results Reference
Longan fruit (Dimocarpus longan) UV-C irradiation and carrageenan and chitosan-based coating The application of UV treatment followed by chitosan coating was the best treatment combination for control enzyme activities and reduced the rate of senescence. [122] Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) Resin wax (Britex Ti), carnauba wax (Xedasol M14), and chitosan (1 and 2% w/v) The coated fruits showed significantly lower respiration rate and weight loss, but the carnauba wax was able to maintain considerably higher fruit quality and bioactive compounds. [123] Carambola (Averrhoa carambola L.) Chitosan, Arabic gum, and alginate The coated fruits showed a significant delay in the change of weight loss, percentage of decomposition, accumulation of sugar, degradation of pigments, and content of ascorbic acid, maintaining the highest concentration of total phenols. [124] Tomatoes Ultrasound-assisted chitosan surfactant nanostructure (micelle sizes of 400, 600, and 800 nm) The treatment enhanced the phenolic content while maintaining a lower respiration level throughout most of the storage duration. However, the weight loss was greater in the treated fruits. [112] Grape (Vitis vinifera (V. vinifera)) Putrescine alone or with chitosan The chitosan-putrescine combination reduced weight loss, incidence of decay, browning, and berry breakage and cracking. [125] Chitosan (0.5 or 1%) The treated berries showed less weight loss, decay, browning, shattering, and cracking. [126] Longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) Chitosan/nano-silica hybrid filmusing tetraethoxysilane as precursor The film remarkably prolonged shelf life, reduced browning index, delayed weight loss, and inhibited the increase in malondialdehyde amount and polyphenoloxidase activity in fresh fruit. [127] Tomato fruit (Lycopersicon Esculentum) Chitosan and a chitosan derivative (N,O-carboxymethyl chitosan) The coating can extend the shelf life and improve the quality of tomato fruit by delaying ripening, reducing weight loss, and preserving the fruit firmness. [113] Yali pears (Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd.) Chitosan (1.5%) Chitosan treatments both before and after damage delayed the color changes caused by damage, inhibited increase disease incidence, and improved the bruise recovery during the storage. [128] Papaya (Carica papaya L.) Chitosan (95% deacetylated; 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0% w/v) Chitosan provided effective control to reduce weight loss, maintained firmness, and delayed changes in the peel color and soluble solids concentration during 5 weeks of storage. [40]

Conclusions
This bibliometric review analyzed the evolutionary process over the past decade of topics about chitosan as coating and their fruits and vegetables' antifungal or antimicrobial effects. VOSviewer software is a useful and versatile tool that allows for easy visualization and analysis of bibliometric networks. In this paper, 875 documents reported that coatings made of chitosan only or chitosan in combination with other biopolymers are a natural and safe post-harvest biocontrol strategy to decrease microbial spoilage mainly by pre-and post-harvest diseases, reducing the damage of fruits as well as extending their shelf life. Finally, this work can provide a useful perspective for future research in the studied field since it demonstrates the existence of an emerging area of study that is intended to reduce a global problem caused by the generation of agro-industrial waste due to the loss of post-harvest damaged crops.