Assessing the Use of Aloe vera Gel Alone and in Combination with Lemongrass Essential Oil as a Coating Material for Strawberry Fruits: HPLC and EDX Analyses

Abstract

Strawberry is a non-climacteric fruit but exhibits a limited postharvest life due to rapid softening and decay. A strawberry coating that is natural and safe for human consumption can be used to improve the appearance and safeguard the fruits. In this study, 20% and 40% Aloe vera gel alone or in combination with 1% lemongrass essential oil (EO) was used as an edible coating for strawberries. After application of all the treatments, the strawberry fruits were stored at a temperature of 5 ± 1 °C at a relative humidity (RH) of 90%–95% for up to 16 days and all the parameters were analyzed and compared to control (uncoated fruits). The results show that A. vera gel alone or with lemongrass EO reduced the deterioration and increased the shelf life of the fruit. Treatment with A. vera gel and lemongrass EO decreased acidity and total anthocyanins and maintained fruit firmness. Treatment with A. vera gel 40% + lemongrass EO 1% led to the lowest weight loss, retained firmness and acidity, but increased the total soluble solids and total anthocyanins compared to uncoated fruits during storage of up to 16 days. The phenolic compounds of A. vera gel were analyzed by HPLC, and the most abundant compounds were found to be caffeic (30.77 mg/mL), coumaric (22.4 mg/mL), syringic (15.12 mg/mL), sinapic (14.05 mg/mL), ferulic (8.22 mg/mL), and cinnamic acids (7.14 mg/mL). Lemongrass EO was analyzed by GC–MS, and the most abundant compounds were identified as α-citral (neral) (40.10%) ꞵ-citral (geranial) (30.71%), γ-dodecalactone (10.24%), isoneral (6.67%), neryl acetal (5.64%), and linalool (1.77%). When the fruits were treated with 20% or 40% A. vera gel along with 1% lemongrass, their total phenolic content was maintained during the storage period (from 4 to 8 days). The antioxidant activity was relatively stable during the 8 days of cold storage of the fruits coated with A. vera gel combined with lemongrass EO because the activity of both 20% and 40% gel was greater than that for the other treatments after 12 days of storage in both experiments. Moreover, all the treatments resulted in lower numbers of total microbes at the end of the storage period compared with the control treatment. This study indicates that the use of Aloe vera gel with lemongrass EO as an edible coating considerably enhances the productivity of strawberry fruits and the treatment could be used on a commercial scale.