Abstract
Edible coating is extensively applied for fresh produce preservation. In the present study, Aloe vera gel (AV) alone or combined with sage essential oil (EO; 0.1% or 0.5%) was used as fruit edible coating in tomatoes. Following treatments, tomatoes were stored at 11 °C and 90% relative humidity (RH) up to 14 days and analyzed for quality maintenance compared with uncoated fruits (control). Results showed that both AV and EO decreased decay symptoms with more pronounced effects on low EO concentration (i.e., 0.1%). The application of 10% of AV coating decreased fruit ethylene emission while EO (0.1% and 0.5%) application increased ethylene emission and respiration rates. AV coating decreased acidity, β-carotene, lycopene content and maintained fruit firmness. High levels of EO (0.5%) increased weight loss but decreased fruits’ redness, chroma, total soluble solids, acidity, β-carotene and lycopene content. Total phenolic content and antioxidants maintained or increased during storage when treated with AV and/or EO. Low levels of EO (0.1%) maintained or improved fruit quality characteristics during storage, and this was mirrored by the sensory evaluation preference (including the AV application) and quality related attributes.
Highlights
Due to the well-known organoleptic and nutritious properties, including bioactive compounds with antioxidant and anticarcinogen activities, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fruit is extremely valued by consumers [1,2,3]
essential oil (EO) as a natural preservation mean for fresh produce storage [33]
The present findings shows both Aloe vera gel (AV) and EO decreased decay symptoms with more pronounced effects on low EO concentration (i.e., 0.1%) after 14 days of storage
Summary
Due to the well-known organoleptic and nutritious properties, including bioactive compounds with antioxidant and anticarcinogen activities, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fruit is extremely valued by consumers [1,2,3]. Tomato is a climacteric fruit and deteriorates rapidly after harvest with a quite short postharvest life, ranging from several days to 2–3 weeks, depending on the cultivar and the preservation mean [4]. Tomatoes are stored at low temperatures ranging from 11–13 ◦ C [4,6,7], as this is generally used to slow down ripening metabolic processes and delay postharvest deterioration, even if this treatment is not sufficient in most cases to preserve fruit quality and safety during the postharvest chain. Storage and transit conditions of fresh produce, management of postharvest diseases and maintenance of the quality of fruit (i.e., flavor, color, dietary value, firmness, shelf life and processing characteristics) need improvements [8]. Chemical treatments are used for produce preservation but several health and environmental concerns over the effectiveness and the risk of producing possibly harmful bi-products and residues of the current practices are Agronomy 2019, 9, 635; doi:10.3390/agronomy9100635 www.mdpi.com/journal/agronomy
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