Work

Exploring the potential of aloe vera gel-based coating for shelf life extension and quality preservation of tomato

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: Tomato is considered the world's most important crop owing to its high nutritional profile and flavor.However, its limited shelf life and post-harvest losses impact its marketing.The present study investigated the impact of aloe vera gel-based edible coating on tomato's post-harvest quality under storage at 8°C for 12 days.The aloe vera-based coating solutions were made with varying concentrations of extracted gel that varied from 0 to 60% with inclusion of chitosan (0.5 to 2%).Physiological, chemical, nutritional, and microbiological analysis of coated and uncoated tomatoes was carried out during storage.It was found that uncoated (control) tomatoes showed maximum weight loss (5.85%), total soluble solids (5.3 ± 0.20 0Brix), change in pH (5.6 ± 0.26), microbial count (3.57± 0.12 log cfu/g), decrease in ascorbic acid content (19.23 ± 0.92 mg/100 g), and acidity (0.54 ± 0.01%) as compared to aloe verabased coatings.However, the coating formulation comprising aloe vera gel (60%) + chitosan (2%) performed much better than other prepared coatings in delaying the weight loss (2.1%), total soluble solid (3.7 ± 0.16 0Brix), change in pH (4.6 ± 0.21), ascorbic acid value (30.47 ± 1.31 mg/100 g), acidity (0.83 ± 0.04%), and microbial load (1.6 ± 0.08 log cfu/g).In addition, it also maintained firmness and color of tomatoes during storage of 12 days.Conclusively, the application of aloe vera-based coating (60% gel) with the inclusion of chitosan (2%) may be proposed for preserving the post-harvest quality of the tomatoes.

Source: International Journal of Food Properties

DOI: 10.1080/10942912.2023.2263661