2.2. Application of the Coatings

Apples were placed at room temperature for 2 h before treatment, and then washed with 1% (v/v) sodium hypochlorite solution for 2 min and rinsed twice with sterile distilled water to remove residual chlorine. Rinsed apples were wiped with absorbent paper to remove excess water and aseptically peeled, cored, and cut using a sterile fruit knife to acquire 8 pieces. Each piece was distributed to a different group [27].

A total of 640 apple pieces were used in the experiment and were randomly assigned to four groups. Then the coatings were applied for four groups, which included T1 = without any treatment, T2 = CT solution, T3 = L. plantarum BX62, T4 = CT + BX62 (1% CT + 1 × 10⁸ CFU/mL BX62). Apple pieces were immersed in the coating solutions for 30 s and then dried at room temperature. Treated apple pieces were packed in plastic boxes and sealed with breathable PE plastic wrap. The boxes were put in a refrigerator at 4 °C for 8 days after weighing. The physicochemical properties, microbial counts, and sensory evaluation were performed on days 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8. All experiments were performed in triplicate.