Efficacy of superior antioxidant Indian gooseberry extract-incorporated edible Indian gooseberry puree/methylcellulose composite films on enhancing the shelf life of roasted cashew nut

Indian gooseberry puree (IGP)/methylcellulose (MC) composite films were formulated using response surface methodology (RSM). Indian gooseberry extract (IGE) was incorporated into IGP/MC composite films. IGE-incorporated IGP/MC films were subsequently investigated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. The efficacy of IGE-incorporated IGP/MC films on roasted cashew nut (RCN) quality during 90-day and 27-day storages at 27 and 37 °C, respectively, was investigated in terms of physical, chemical and sensory qualities. The selected formulation obtained by RSM was 1.80% w/v polyethylene glycol-400 (PEG-400) and 4.10% w/v MC. IGE-incorporated IGP/MC films showed higher antioxidant activities than that of IGE-free IGP/MC film. A 0.5% w/w IGE-incorporated IGP/MC film was highly efficacious against RCN quality deterioration, and therefore be a promising application of this superior IGE-incorporated IGP/MC composite film to extend the shelf life of RCN during storage at ambient and accelerated conditions.