Quality of Rubi grapes coated with Aloe vera L. gel in the pre-harvest

Abstract

The use of edible coatings is one of the technologies that has been studied for the maintenance of postharvest
quality of fruits; they can function as a barrier for water loss, change gas exchange, and improve fruit
appearance. Aloe vera gel, which is rich in polysaccharides, is one of the of coatings that has been tested for
this purpose. In this context, the objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of pre-harvest application of
A. vera gel in the post-harvest quality of Rubi grapes. The treatments used were: A. vera gel at the rates of 100,
200, and 300 mL L-1, chitosan (160 g L-1), and distilled water (control). The following post-harvest characteristics
were evaluated: titratable acidity (TA), soluble solid (SS) contents, SS/TA, color indexes (brightness, hue, and
chroma), and anthocyanin contents. The coatings with Aloe vera gel L. improved the post-harvest quality of
Rubi grapes, by decreasing titratable acidity, increasing SS/TA, and improving color indexes. The coatings also
increased anthocyanin contents. Thus, the use Aloe vera gel is recommended for the coating of Rubi grapes in
the pre-harvest period.