Biodegradable Chitosan Coating Gel from Agaricus Bisporus: A Natural Alternative to Chemical Preservatives

Abstract

Chitosan is a degradable biopolymer with effective antimicrobial property, having a potential to be a promising alternative to chemical preservatives that cause health and environmental issues. Traditionally, chitosan is sourced from crustacean shells which lead to environmental problems such as unsustainable fishing practices, strong chemical usage, and marine pollution. This study extracted chitosan from Agaricus bisporus (champignon mushroom) which is an environmentally friendly alternative due to its rapid production, ability to grow on the agricultural waste, and less hazardous extraction methods. The mushroom derived chitosan was formulated into a edible coating gel by cross linking with glycerol. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed a degree of deacetylation of 79.09%, surpassing commercial chitosan from crustaceans at 72.19%. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of fruits coated chitosan gel shows a smooth surface, reflecting adhesion properties, and shelf-life evaluations on banana samples indicated that the application of the mushroom-based chitosan gel nearly doubled the preservation period. These results highlights the potential of mushroom derived chitosan as an alternative of chemical preservatives that can benefit health and environment, while also reduce the reliance of marine-derived sources.