THE EFFECT OF Aloe Vera GEL COATING IN ENHANCING POSTHARVEST QUALITY AND SHELF LIFE OF SWEET ORANGE (Citrus sinensis Osbeck)FRUITS

Sweet orange (Citrus sinensis Osbeck) is grown throughout the world and provides the greatest fresh fruit production of any citrus groups. In freshly harvested fruits, as the quality deterioration and the susceptibility of the stored products to decay caused by microbial spoilage and pathogens increases progressively. The application of an edible coating onto the fruit surface modifies the internal atmosphere in the same way that does plastic films by increasing the carbon dioxide and lowering the oxygen concentrations. The present study has planned to study the role of aloe gel coating on postharvest management of sweet orange fruits. Aloe gel concentrations of , 10%, and 20 % (v/v), were prepared by dissolving respective volume of homogenized aloe gel prepared from flesh part of aloe leaf in hot distilled water. The treated groups were evaluated in each treatment at 1st, 10th and 20th days of treatment. The experimental design was 4 x 5 (i.e. 4 Aloe vera gel concentration levels; 5 fruits) in a completely randomized factorial designs in two replications. Thenceforth, fruits were assessed for different quality parameters such as physiological weight loss, total chlorophylls and carotenoids, titratable/total acidity, ascorbic acid, and total sugar at 1st, 10th and 20th days of storage. The result of analysis of percentage weight loss and vitamin C content in C. sinensis fruit samples demonstrated that significance differences for both weight loss and ascorbic acid contents after 10th day storage of fruits. The amount of total chlorophylls and carotenoids during postharvest ripening of sweet orange fruits indicated that significance difference in both total chlorophyll and carotenoid contents between control and aloe gel treated groups during 1st, 10th and 20th days of treatment. The highest mean carotenoid content was recorded for control group showing that treatment with aloe gel solution can delay ripening of sweet orange fruit. Significance differences in total acidity (predominantly citric acid) between control and aloe gel treated groups after 10th day of postharvest storage of the fruits. The total reducing sugars during postharvest ripening of sweet orange significance differences in sugar content between control and aloe gel treated groups were observed after 10th days of storage. It was found that total reducing sugars was increasing during postharvest ripening of sweet orange fruit. The highest mean reducing sugar was observed for control group showing that treatment with aloe gel solution reducing total reducing sugar in sweet orange fruit. The low sugar content in aloe gel treated group indicates that aloe gel delays postharvest ripening and increase the sweet orange fruits shelf life.