Efficacy of aloe vera gel and corn starch on the postharvest quality of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fruits during storage

Abstract

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important crop that is consumed by majority of the people globally. However, the postharvest quality deteriorates during storage coupled with the reduced shelf life which ultimately leads to significant losses after harvest. This study attempted to find out the efficacy of the aloevera gel (ALVG) and corn starch (CS) coating in extending the shelf life and maintenance of tomato fruit quality. The fruits were coated with 100% ALV gel and 5% cornstarch edible coatings while the untreated control was dipped in distilled water containing glycerol and stored under ambient conditions. The fruit quality attributes such as the fruit colour index, weight loss, decay incidence, pH, titratable acidity (TA), Total soluble solids (TSS), Ripening index (RI), ascorbic acid content, Lycopene, and Chlorophyll degradation (Chl a and b) were assessed for a period of 16 d. The postharvest fruit ripening as indicated by colour change and RI was delayed by both ALVG and CS compared to the untreated control; The CS had a profound effect in delaying fruit colour change during the storage period. Additionally, both ALV and CS had a lower disease incidence and reduced weight loss. The edible coatings maintained the tomato fruit pH at 4 and 8 d after treatment. Meanwhile, the ALV gel and CS observed a significantly higher TA compared to the untreated control. The CS maintained the highest TSS during storage followed by the ALV gel. Surprisingly, the control fruit showed the highest ascorbic acid content in the first 12 d of storage but showed a sharp decline 16 d after storage. The ALV gel and CS delayed chlorophyll degradation by maintaining the highest levels of Chl a and b. The control observed the highest lycopene concentrations compared to other treatments. The findings of this study showed that CS and ALV gel extended the shelf life of tomato fruit while maintaining the internal fruit quality and have a great potential to be used as postharvest treatments. Generally, the CS was found to be more effective than ALV is this study.