Postharvest Quality of Tomato as Influenced by a Composite Aloe vera (L.) Coating and Cinnamic Oils: A Study of Synergistic Effects
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47430/ujmr.25102.026Keywords:
Postharvest quality, Aloe vera, Cinnamic Oils, Tomato, StorageAbstract
Tomatoes are among the most important fruit and vegetable crop globally rich in bioactive compounds such as vitamin C, carotenoids, and phenolics. Quality deterioration, reduced shelf life, and poor year-round availability of tomatoes, especially under inadequate postharvest handling. This study investigated the efficacy of edible coatings based on Aloe vera (L.) gel (AVG) and cinnamon oil (CO) in preserving the quality of tomato fruit during storage. Fruits were treated with distilled water (control), AVG (50%), CO (1.5%), or a composite AVG+CO coating. They were air-dried, weighed, and stored in perforated LDPE bags at 25‒28 °C for 7 days, with three replicates of eight fruits per treatment and quality assessments every two days. The results demonstrated that all coatings significantly (p < 0.05) preserved quality compared to the control. The AVG+CO composite coating proved to be the most effective treatment, yielding the lowest values for weight loss (17.33%) and decay incidence (3.00%), and the highest scores for firmness (3.33) and visual quality (3.00) on the final day of storage. Furthermore, this treatment effectively delayed ripening-associated metabolic changes, as evidenced by the most stable levels of total soluble solids (TSS) and pH. AVG+CO composite coating is a potent, natural, and sustainable postharvest technology for extending the shelf life and maintaining the quality of tomato fruit.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Ibrahim Ali Sale, Sakina Sani Buhari, Shamsu Ado Zakari, Abba Hamisu, Wada Hayatu Ladan, Basiru, D. I. (Author)
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