ABSTRACT

The use of lipids in the development of edible coatings is a viable alternative to conserve natural and fresh products, allowing the extension of the shelf life quality without causing any harm to the environment, compared to films prepared from synthetic plastics. For this reason, the most important lipid in this application is the wax, because it possesses the necessary properties to perform this function. Since its nature, the fruits tend to have a layer of wax that confers protection against pathogens, environmental, pests, etc. In this review, we report the importance of candelilla wax as a natural resource from the Mexican semi-arid region, as well as their uses in the development of edible coatings, because it is a biodegradable and edible material approved by the FDA. Its importance as an essential component of an edible coating made with this type of biomaterial is based in its action as a plasticizer. Also, we describe some reports of the 228development of nutraceutical edible coatings formulated with the addition of natural phenolic antioxidants.