Authors Shahkoomahally, S., & Ramezanian, A.
Table grape is a highly perishable, non-climacteric fruit. Table grapes have severe problems since acceleration of quality loss occurs during postharvest storage due to weight loss by dehydration, tissue softening, rachis browning and anomalous aromas attributable to over-ripeness accompanied in most cases with high incidence of berry decay, which lead to a reduction of shelf life. However, the use of a combination of pesticides, the development of fungicide-resistant strains, and the publics concern for human health and environmental pollution have stimulated the search for new strategies as alternative tools for controlling postharvest decay. Edible coatings create a modified atmosphere around the fruit by providing a semipermeable barrier to water vapor and gases, and their use offers an attractive alternative to film packaging due to their environmentally friendly characteristic. Different compounds have mainly been used as edible coatings. Aloe vera L. gel is a novel edible coating for organic fruit storage technology. Application of A. vera gel coating has been reported to extend shelf life by delaying postharvest loss of quality in sweet cherries and table grapes. t is well known that calcium plays a major role in maintaining the quality of fruit and vegetable. Preharvest and postharvest treatments with calcium salts have been effective in controlling several physiological disorders, reducing the incidence of fungal pathogens, and maintaining fruit firmness. Calcium ions cross-link free carboxyl groups on adjacent polygalacturonate chains present in the middle lamella of the plant cell wall contributing to cell adhesion and cohesion. Citric acid (CA) is an anti-browning agent, which prevents polyphenol oxidase (PPO) by suppressing the food pH and binding the Cu2+ in an active site of PPO to form an inactive complex. It has also been widely used in the food industries for controlling the browning. Although applying CA as a dipping solution has been reported in postharvest fruits with very satisfactory results for fruits such as longan and litchi. No research has been reported on the effects of natural Aloe vera applied as an edible coating combined with calcium chloride and citric acid on shelf life and the fruit quality attributes of grape, so that the objective of this study was to determine the effects of A. vera combined with calcium chloride and citric acid on grape (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Askari) storage capability, functional properties and quality attributes.
