Aloe vera Gel Coating to Enhance Shelf life of Papaya (Carica papaya L.)

Abstract

Edible coating is a novel method which can be used to enhance shelf life of fruits. Therefore, this study was carried out to develop an edible coating from Aloe vera leaf gel to extend the shelf life of papaya (Carica papaya L.) fruits. Four different concentrations (0, 33, 66 and 100%) of A. vera gel solutions were evaluated. A. vera gel extracted from fresh leaves was used to prepare different treatments after pasteurization (70 0C at 45 min) and pH adjustment. Gel solutions were equally applied to fruits as two coats and they were stored under room temperature (32±2 oC) with 68%of Relative Humidity. Percentage Weight Loss (PWL), Total Soluble Solids (TSS), Titratable Acidity (TA) and Percentage Disease Incidence (PDI) were measured at 3 days intervals. A sensory evaluation was carried out for all the treatments at the end of the storage period to evaluate the sensory attributes using a Five Point Hedonic scale. Data were analyzed using Minitab statistical package (version 16). Based on the results, fruits treated with 100% A. vera gel recorded the longest shelf life of 12 days together with higher median ranks for taste(4), firmness(3), marketability(4) and overall quality(5). Therefore, 100% Aloe vera gel coatings could be promoted among locals to extend the shelf life of papaya.