Vol. 39 No. 3 (2025)
Articles

Comparative evaluation of Aloe vera and chitosan edible coatings on shelf life and quality of strawberries during cold storage

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  • T.A.A. Nasrin,
  • M.A. Rahman,
  • M.S. Arfin,
  • M. Afroz,
  • M.T. Naznin,
  • M.M. Molla,
  • A.A. Sabuz,
  • M.A. Matin,
  • R. Islam
T.A.A. Nasrin
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur 1701, Bangladesh.
Bio
M.A. Rahman
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur 1701, Bangladesh.
M.S. Arfin
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur 1701, Bangladesh.
M. Afroz
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur 1701, Bangladesh.
M.T. Naznin
University of Nevada, Reno, USA.
M.M. Molla
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur 1701, Bangladesh.
A.A. Sabuz
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur 1701, Bangladesh.
M.A. Matin
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, CIMMYT, Harare, Zimbabwe.
R. Islam
The Ohio State University, South Centers, Piketon, USA.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/ahsc-17811
Categories

Published 2025-11-05

Keywords

  • Aloe vera ge,
  • biochemical properties,
  • calcium chloride,
  • Chitosan,
  • microbial load,
  • respiration rate,
  • sensory quality
    • ...More
    Less

How to Cite

Nasrin, T., Rahman, M. A., Arfin, M., Afroz, M., Naznin, M. T., Molla, M. M., Sabuz, A. A., Matin, M. A., & Islam, K. R. (2025). Comparative evaluation of Aloe vera and chitosan edible coatings on shelf life and quality of strawberries during cold storage. Advances in Horticultural Science, 39(3), 191–204. https://doi.org/10.36253/ahsc-17811

Copyright (c) 2025 Taslima, Atiq, Sadia, Mafruha, Tahera, Mainuddin, Sabuz, Matin, Rafiq

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Abstract

Strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) are nutrient-rich specialty fruits with a short shelf life due to microbial spoilage, softening, darkening, and moisture loss. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of edible coatings in extending shelf life and maintaining fruit quality. Freshly ripened, randomly selected strawberries were coated with 1.5% chitosan, 1.5% chitosan+1% CaCl₂, Aloe vera gel (AVG), and AVG+1% CaCl₂, along with an uncoated control. Each treatment was replicated 3 times with 25 samples per replicate, followed by air drying. The coated strawberries were stored in sterilized polypropylene containers under standard refrigerated conditions (4±1°C; 50±5% relative humidity) for 9 days. The application of edible coatings significantly (p<0.05) reduced respiration rates (by 25 to 34%) and microbial load (by 41 to 62%), helping to preserve fruit color, moisture content, ascorbic acid, firmness, and overall acceptability. The effect was more pronounced in strawberries coated with AVG and AVG+1% CaCl₂ coatings on strawberries throughout storage period. Uncoated strawberries had an acceptability score of 4.0, while all coated fruits scored above 5, showing a significant improvement by 20 to 37%. Strawberries treated with AVG, with or without CaCl₂, maintained the highest acceptability score of 5.5, outperforming all other coatings. These findings suggest that Aloe Vera -based coatings are particularly effective in extending the shelf life and preserving the quality of strawberries during refrigerated storage.

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