Lime Essential Oil‐Loaded Chitosan/ <scp>HPMC</scp> Composite Biodegradable Coatings to Improve the Storage Quality of <i>Phoenix dactylifera</i> Fruits

ABSTRACT The aim of the current study is to develop and evaluate the mechanical, optical, and antioxidant properties of chitosan‐hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) biocomposite films loaded with lime essential oil (LEO). The same formulation was used as a biodegradable coating to evaluate its effectiveness in maintaining the quality attributes and increasing the refrigerated shelf‐life of rutab‐stage Khalas Dates ( Phoenix dactylifera L.). The formulation composed of chitosan and HPMC was loaded with 0.3% (v/v) lime essential oil. The thickness (0.10 to 0.17 mm), light transmittance (99.78%–98.00%), and antioxidant activity (21.16%–60.63%) of the fabricated films improved significantly. For the preservation of date fruits, two different coating solutions were prepared. One was a control without oil and the other was loaded with essential oil. The freshly harvested rutab‐stage dates were coated and stored at 5°C for 21 days. The dates coated with the LEO formulation demonstrated better firmness, lower weight loss, and improved antioxidant activity compared to uncoated dates or those coated with a plain formulation without any bioactive component. The surface hydrophobicity of the LEO‐loaded sample was higher. The visual and textural appearance of the LEO‐based coated dates exhibited slow ripening, minimized browning, and preserved the characteristics of dates during rutab‐stage. These findings highlight the potential applications of natural biocomposite coatings loaded with bioactive components as a postharvest technology for fresh dates and other tropical fruits.