Plant-Derived Hydrosols From Agricultural Waste as Natural Preservatives For Improving The Shelf Life of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Abstract

Reducing post-harvest losses of fresh fruits and vegetables remains a major challenge because conventional preservation methods often rely on synthetic chemicals that raise environmental and consumer safety concerns. This study explored the use of plant-derived hydrosols as sustainable natural preservatives for extending the shelf life of fresh produce. Hydrosols were prepared from ginger (Zingiber officinale), orange peel (Citrus sinensis), guava leaves (Psidium guajava), and yellow bell flower (Tecoma stans) through steam distillation. UV–Visible spectrophotometric analysis at 280 nm served as a rapid screening method to compare the phytochemical richness of the hydrosols. Ginger hydrosol exhibited the highest absorbance (1.2014), followed by orange peel (0.8491), guava leaf (0.3269), and
T. stans (0.1009). Based on these results, two hydrosol formulations were developed: ginger–orange peel (1:1, v/v) and guava leaf–ginger (2:1, v/v), while T. stans was excluded because of its comparatively low absorbance and less desirable sensory characteristics.
The formulations were applied to tomato, grapes, capsicum, and cucumber and evaluated under ambient storage conditions for three days. Compared with untreated controls, the treated samples retained better colour, firmness, and overall appearance, showed reduced fungal growth, and experienced lower moisture loss. Cucumber treated with the hydrosol formulations maintained a darker green colour and exhibited only minimal fungal development, whereas the untreated control showed extensive spoilage. In addition to demonstrating the preservative potential of plant hydrosols, this work highlights an effective strategy for converting discarded orange peels into a value-added product, supporting sustainable waste valorisation and circular bioeconomy practices. These preliminary findings suggest that hydrosol-based formulations could provide an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic preservatives for short-term post-harvest preservation of fresh produce. Further validation through replicated trials, microbiological studies, and detailed phytochemical characterisation is required before commercial application.