Edible Coatings of Aloe Vera Gel and Carnauba Wax Microparticles to Increase Strawberry ( Fragaria ananassa ) Shelf Life

Extending the shelf life of fruits without altering their nutritional or sensory characteristics has led to the search for different preservation technologies. Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) is prone to rapid decay after harvest. Aloe Vera Gel (AVG) provides antioxidants that help prevent rapid ripening; however, its hydrophilic nature can reduce the effectiveness of the coating. On the other hand, Carnauba wax (CWP) could decrease water vapor permeability and has not been previously used for strawberries. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the coating formed by different concentrations of AVG with CWP microparticles. The samples were immersed in the coating for different times, lyophilized and analyzed in the scanning electron microscope, with different resolutions, to establish the experimental conditions and confirmed the formation of the layer on the surface. A Completely Random Design was applied, with a 32 factorial arrangement: AVG (0%, 30%, 45% v/v) and CWP (0%, 0.3%, 0.4% w/v). Three repetitions and 27 experimental runs were carried out. The treatments that presented the best physicochemical and microbiological conditions were analyzed sensorially. The treatments with higher concentrations of the two components provided the least change in weight loss, pH, and ripening index (p ≤ .05), and the lowest values of the severity index caused by Botrytis cinerea. The coated samples were well accepted sensorially, with no significant difference with the uncoated strawberries (p > .05). The proposed coatings have the potential to extend the shelf life of strawberries and be applied in the fruit marketing chain.