EFFECT OF ALOE VERA GEL COATING ON POSTHARVEST FRUIT QUALITY OF STRAWBERRY FRUIT (FRAGERIA ANANASSA)

Abstract

Current study was conducted in 2019 at Post Harvest Research Center, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad, Pakistan and Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan to address this problem of strawberry fruit where aloe vera gel coating was applied with different concentrations (0.1%, 1.5% and 2%) at 3°C to determine its possible effects on postharvest fruit quality and to increase the shelf life. Data were recorded on different fruit related parameters like fruit weight loss, fruit shape index, firmness, disease and decay %age, pH, TSS, titrateable acidity, vitamin-c content, reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars and total sugars. The results showed that application of 1.5% aloe vera gel significantly increased the shelf life as evidenced by minimum fruit weight loss (5.2%), higher fruit firmness (2.75%), less disease and decay (5.8%). However, TSS (8.16 °Brix), reducing sugars (2.98%), non-reducing sugars (2.59%) and total sugars (5.57%) were found maximum for control. Highest acidity (0.88%) and vitamin C contents (53.46 mg/100g) were found in fruits treated with 2% aloe vera gel. Moreover, lowest pH (4.41) was recorded in fruits coated with 2% aloe vera gel. Results of this study revealed that the potential of using aloe vera gel at 1.5% as a coating material proved to be better to prolong postharvest life as well as to maintain quality of strawberry fruits