Authors Abid Aslam MaanaZienab Fawzy Reiad Ahmed Muhammad KashifIqbal Khana AsadRiazc Akmal Nazird
Edible films/coatings are thin layers of eatable materials which, when applied to foods, can modify the exchange of molecules between food and environment as well as between different compartments of the same food, films/coatings help the foods to maintain their freshness and also facilitate in their transportation, storage and display, Aloe vera is a popular herbal plant and is well known for its therapeutic properties, gel extracted from Aloe vera leaves comprises of a variety of bioactive compounds, minerals and phenolic contents, Aloe vera gel has attracted considerable attention as edible and active film/coating material, Aloe vera gel films/coating are quite effective for shelf-life extension of various perishable food commodities (in a dose-dependent manner); however, the optimum gel concentration still needs to be investigated, blending of Aloe vera gel with traditional biopolymers (proteins and polysaccharides) and lipids (emulsions) seems a promising approach for tuning properties of films/coating in terms of transparency, smoothness, rigidity, elasticity, water vapor permeability, and bio-functionality, edible films and coatings are thin layers of consumable materials with ability to provide barrier against moisture, gases and solute movement in foods, represent exceptional substitutes to the traditional wrapping materials owing to their outstanding properties such as biocompatibility, edibility and broad range of applications, can be prepared as coating or free-standing films, and find multiple applications such as individual packaging of small commodities (e.g. beans, nuts, berries etc.), Aloe Vera, at the interface between different compartments of heterogeneous foods, as carrier for nutritional and functional agents, main difference between coatings and films is that the coating is applied in liquid form on the foods; whereas, the film is first molded into sheet and then used as a wrapping material, edible films/coatings facilitate transportation, storage and display of fresh and processed commodities, edible films/coatings are conventionally prepared from polysaccharides, proteins, lipids and their combinations, with some additional food grade additives, several natural polysaccharides such as starch, cellulose, pectin, gums, chitosan, agar, alginate, dextran have exhibited their potential in shelf life extension of different food commodities, among proteins, gelatin, corn zein, whey protein, wheat gluten, soy protein, are commonly studied edible coating materials, whereas, the plant-based waxes (such carnauba wax and candelilla wax), bees wax, paraffin, glycerides are the lipid-based materials reported as coating materials, Aloe vera Linné (also called as Aloe barbadensis Miller), Aloe vera gel is applied for the preparation of functional foods, as natural preservative, or as a material for edible films/coatings ,aloe gel as edible film/coating owing to its effectiveness towards shelf life extension of various perishable food commodities, apart from barrier properties, the antioxidative and antimicrobial potential of Aloe vera gel films/coating make them an excellent example of natural and active packaging, Aloe vera gel as film/coating material, either alone or in combination with other biopolymers, Suitability of Aloe vera gel as edible coating, aloe provide additional health benefits , natural compounds (comprising of lipids, proteins or polysaccharides), aloe vera gel have been applied mostly on fresh and fresh cut fruits, vegetables, seafoods, mushrooms and beans, Applications of Aloe vera gel based composite edible films use of biopolymers (such as proteins and polysaccharides) as edible films is being practiced in food industry, polymer is applied to develop composite films that offer extended biological and technological functionality, success of a composite film lies in the fact that all the materials should be compatible with each other and their interactions would reinforce the film structure and functionality, emulsion-based coatings and films contain a hydrophobic lipid component dispersed in a hydrophilic structural matrix of one or more hydrocolloid molecules (i.e., proteins and polysaccharides), Aloe vera gel is an edible and active material that can be used for preparation of edible films/coatings. The antioxidative and antimicrobial properties of Aloe vera gel make it quite remarkable for the shelf-life extension of various foods. It not only helps to maintain quality of the coated commodities (during storage), but also provides additional health benefits owing to its therapeutic potential.
