Aloe vera Bio-Extract Coating Results Better Shelf Life and Fruit Quality Attributes in Pomegranate

Aims: To evaluate the potentiality of bio-extract coatings for achieving extended shelf life with enhance fruit quality attributes in pomegranate under ambient storage condition.

Study Design: The lab experiment conducted in complete randomized design with three repetitions on Mridula cultivar of pomegranate.

Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was conducted during September 2016 at department of fruit science, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana, India.

Methodology: Pomegranate freshly harvested fruits were coated with three bio-extracts coatings viz. Aloe vera (50,75 and 100%), ginger (1,2 and 3%) and mints (10,20 and 30%). The coated fruits were stored at ambient room condition in corrugated fiber board boxes for twelve days. Periodically effects of bio-extract coatings, storage period and their interaction were observed for physiological loss in weight, decay loss, juice content, TSS: acid ratio, ascorbic acid content and anthocyanin content.

Results: Surface coating with Aloe vera extract 100% was found most effective in reducing physiological loss in weight (50% less reduction as compared to untreated control) whereas ginger extract 3% in reducing the decay loss of fruits (9.65%) as compared to untreated control (23.36%). Among various treatments, the coating of pomegranate fruits with Aloe vera extract 100% resulted in lowest total soluble solids to acid ratio (32.17%) and significantly highest content of juice (47.17%), anthocyanin (13.98 mg/100 g) and ascorbic acid (12.82 mg/100 g) of the fruits along with highest organoleptic rating. The quality attributes viz. total soluble solids to acid ratio, anthocyanin of fruits increased with progression of storage period, while juice content and ascorbic acid decreased.

Conclusion: Bio-extract coating of Aloe vera (100%) substantially improved the shelf life with retaining better fruit quality attributes under ambient conditions and has the potential to substitute the prevalent chemical coatings for pomegranate.