Improvement of quality and shelf-life of tomatoes with Aloe vera coatings enriched with tulsi extract

This work aimed to investigate the effect of edible coatings on shelf life and quality of tomato fruits. Aloe vera (AL) gel and tulsi leaf extract (TE), and a combination of aloe vera gel and tulsi extract (ALTE) coating, were applied to the surface of fresh tomatoes and stored at ∼26 °C and 75–82 % relative humidity for 25 days. Tomato fruits were evaluated periodically after the application of coating materials. Results showed that tomatoes coated with AL and TE maintained better quality than uncoated tomato fruits. Among various treatments, tomatoes coated with AL resulted in delayed weight loss (3.25 %), and ripening process, reduced disease incidence, and disease severity. It also showed that AL coated fruits had lower amount of lycopene (28.6 μg/g) and β carotene (11.42 μg/g), and a higher amount of phenolics (84.56 mg/100 gm) content. Disease incidence was significantly reduced by the coatings, with ALTE showing the lowest incidence (31 % at 25 days) compared to 100 % in the control. This novel edible coating technology can be applied industrially to enhance the quality and shelf life of mature tomato fruits.