Food Chemistry 347 (2021) 129012

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Food Chemistry
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/foodchem

Pre-harvest application of chitosan and postharvest Aloe vera gel coating

enhances quality of table grape (Vitis vinifera L. cv. ‘Yaghouti’) during
postharvest period
Abdollah Ehtesham Nia *, Shirin Taghipour , Sara Siahmansour
Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: The present study evaluated impact of pre-harvest foliar spraying with chitosan (2.0% and 3.0%) and post-
Aloe vera gel harvest Aloe vera gel (AVG) coating (25% and 33%) to determine the quality of table grape during storage.
Chitosan The results showed that both treatments significantly influenced the storage lifetime of this fruit. In addition, the
Decay incidence
chitosan and AVG combinations minimized the incidence of decay and reduced the weight loss more than that of
Fruit coating
Table grape
chitosan, AVG and control samples. 25 days once the foliar application of chitosan 3.0% with AVG 33% coating
extending the storage life of fruit up to 15 days by significantly reducing decay index, malondialdehyde, weight
loss and polyphenol oxidase also, maintaining the overall quality index, firmness, antioxidant capacity, perox­
idase, total phenols, anthocyanin, SSC and vitamin C. Based on the findings, these natural compound treatments
could be considered as suitable alternatives to extend the marketable period of table grapes and minimize post-
harvest losses.

1. Introduction improving colour. In addition, very expensive treatments increase the

Table grapes, as non-climacteric fruits with thin pericarp and suc­
culent fruit tissue, are exposed to serious water loss and infection by
plant pathogens, which could result in high fungal decay rate (Meng,
Qin, & Tian, 2010) and low storability (Mirdehghan, & Rahimi, 2016).
In this respect, chemical fungicides are widely used in orchards to
control plant diseases. However, if they are used in large quantities, they
could have adverse effects on consumers’ health and the environment.
Iran is the fourth and fifth largest producer of table grapes and dried
grapes in the world, respectively. In 2016, out of 4000000 t of grapes
including table (3850600 t) and dried grapes (170000 t) were produced
in Iran (OIV, 2018). ‘Yaghouti’ cultivar is cultivated widely throughout
Iran due to its early ripening and its high value in the fruit market. Some
of the important characteristics of this cultivar grape include berries
with red colour, antioxidant properties, and high anthocyanin.
Postharvest treatments are not definitely the most appropriate
method to maintain shelf life and fruit quality during the post-harvest
period. In addition, they are expensive, increase the risk of fruit dam­
age through extra handling, and encourage growers to pay less attention
to on-tree quality. Post-harvest treatments sometimes reduce the fruit
firmness and increase berry shatter due to the use of concentration for
risk of damage to the fruit using additives. The pre-harvest application
could be considered as an important alternative for solving the afore-
mentioned problems. Different methods such as pre- and post-harvest
application of chitosan (Lin et al., 2020), nanoparticles (Shi et al.,
2013), and polyamines (Mirdehghan, & Rahimi, 2016) are used to retain
firmness and fundamental protection, and control the decay of fresh
garden crops.
Coatings as a semi-permeable barrier, limits the movement of gasses,
rate of respiration and water loss. Coatings can be inherently antioxidant
and antimicrobial (Sogvar, Koushesh Saba, & Emamifar, 2016). Edible
coatings consist of proteins, lipids, or various compounds, which can
effectively protect the production (Xing et al., 2020; Vieira et al., 2016).
Chitosan (CTS) edible material, as a cationic polysaccharide, has bio-
safe and anti-fungal properties, which can form a semi-permeable bar­
rier on the surface of the fruit, modify the atmosphere thereupon, and
postpone maturity and senescence in a range of horticultural products
(Baswal et al., 2020). CTS significantly protects fruits from pathogen
infection, reduces gas exchanges and aroma, and induces host-defence
responses and starch degradation (Cosme Silva et al., 2017; Xing
et al., 2020). More attention has been paid to coatings against the post-
harvest diseases in fruits (Shah, & Hashmi, 2020). A recent study

* Corresponding author at: Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, P.O. Box: 465, Khorramabad, Iran.
E-mail addresses: ehteshamnia.ab@lu.ac.ir (A. Ehtesham Nia), taghipour.sh@fa.lu.ac.ir (S. Taghipour), siahmansoursara@gmail.com (S. Siahmansour).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.129012
Received 28 April 2020; Received in revised form 17 December 2020; Accepted 31 December 2020
Available online 9 January 2021
0308-8146/© 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A. Ehtesham Nia et al.
showed that CTS edible coating successfully increased the shelf life of
several fruits including table grape (Shiri et al., 2013), mango (Cosme
Silva et al., 2017) and fig (Saki, ValizadehKaji, Abbasifar, & Shahrjerdi,
2019).
Recently, Aloe vera gel (AVG) has received a considerable attention.
The AVG, as an edible coating, is mainly composed of polysaccharides
and compounds including vitamins, antioxidants as phenolic com­
pounds, and antimicrobials (Vieira et al., 2016). Acemannan is the
main active component in the mucilaginous gel of Aloe vera, which has
antibacterial and fungal properties and is involved in immuno-
modulation. Fig. 1 shows the chemical structures of CTS and ace­
mannan (Mondal, & Saha, 2019).
In a study by Vieira et al. (2016), a synergistic antifungal effect was
observed when AVG was incorporated in CTS coating. The AVG coating
in several fruits such as apple (Qi, Hu, Jiang, Tian, & Li, 2011), mango
(Shah, & Hashmi, 2020), strawberry (Sogvar, Koushesh Saba, & Ema­
mifar, 2016) and orange (Rasouli, Koushesh Saba, & Ramezanian, 2019)
reduced moisture loss, microbial decay, softening, respiration rates and
preserved other quality properties, which could prolong the shelf life of
the fruits. Accordingly, the combined impact of the edible coating
increased resistance to disease and shelf life in mango fruit (Shah, &
Hashmi, 2020; Ebrahimi, & Rastegar, 2020), and orange (Rasouli,
Koushesh Saba, & Ramezanian, 2019).
There is scanty research on the effective role of pre-harvest CTS
application on shelf life and the physicochemical properties of table
grapes during storage. The present study is the first attempt to assess the
effect of foliar-applied CTS only, AVG coating only and CTS + AVG
coating treatments on the physicochemical properties, biochemical
characteristics, antioxidant enzyme system and postharvest fruit quality
of table grapes during ambient storage.
2. Material and methods
2.1. Plant materials and treatments
This study was performed on 12-year-old grapevine trees (V. vinifera
L. cv. ‘Yaghouti’) in a commercial scaffolding garden with an over-head
system in Lorestan Province in 2018. The experiment was conducted in a
field trial (pre-harvest) and in the laboratory (post-harvest) according to
factorial design with 6 and 3 replications, respectively. Two main factors
including: (i) spray of the CTS solutions in the pre-harvest and (ii) im­
mersion with AVG coating at the post-harvest period (Fig. 2) were
examined.
2.1.1. Pre-harvest experiment
A total of 18 trees (six trees per concentration) were selected in terms
of size and fruit load, with bear 50–70 canes. Then, clusters of vines were
directly sprayed with 4 L per vine via sprayer machine by different CTS
concentrations (0, 2.0% and 3.0%) at fruit set, 25 and 50 days after fruit
set. The untreated trees only received aqueous solutions of the same
amount of tween 20. Spraying solutions were performed in three phases,
namely, fruit set, two weeks after fruit set (DAFS) and veraison (when
about 30% of grape berries showed color changes).
Fig. 1. Chemical structure of acemannan of AV (Aloe vera) (a) and CTS (chitosan) derived from chitin (b).
2
Food Chemistry 347 (2021) 129012
2.1.2. Postharvest experiment
The post-harvest treatments were performed on both small table
grape bunches and single berries on the harvest day. Small table grape
bunches (approximately 30 berries) were dipped for 10 to 20 s in AVG
(25 and 33%) or sterile distilled water (control), and then air-dried.
After each storage interval (every 10 days), the physicochemical prop­
erties of the fruit were estimated. Treated and untreated fruits in
maturity stage with SSC ≥ 15◦ Brix were harvested manually and
transported to the post-harvest laboratory. Finally, the healthy clusters
with no defect or pathological contamination were selected.
2.2. Preparation CTS solution
CTS was isolated from shrimp shell based on Puvvada, Vankayala­
pati, & Sukhavasi, (2012) method. Five grams of shrimp shell waste was
treated with 4% NaOH at room temperature for 24hr. The alkali was
drained from the shells and washed with distilled water several times
until the pH became neutral. Then the deproteinized shells were treated
with 4.0% w/w HCl at room temperature for 12hr for demineralization
to yield chitin. Next, chitosan was obtained by deacetylation of chitin
extracted under heat treatment in NaOH solution. Then, the CTS stock
solution (1% w/v of chitosan) was prepared by dissolving purified CTS
in 0.5% (v/v) acetic acid. Finally, the mixture was stirred for 2 h and the
pH was adjusted to 5.6 using 1 N NaOH.
2.3. Preparation edible AVG coating
Mature leaves of Aloe vera L. were obtained from a greenhouse and
washed with water. Then, the leaves rinsed with distilled water con­
taining 200 μL L− 1 of NaOH solution. Next, the matrix was then sepa­
rated from the outer cortex of leaves, and this colourless
hydroparenchyma was placed in a blender. The gel was pasteurized at
65 ◦ C for 30 min and stored at 4 ◦ C to maintain the pH (Mettler Toledo
Company, Greifensee, Switzerland). The resulting mixture was filtered
to remove the fibers. Finally, the gel was diluted with sterile distilled
water (30:70 v/v) then glycerol (1% v/v) was added to increase the
plasticizing effect. The AV coating concentration (30%) was selected
based on previous works (Sogvar et al., 2016).
2.4. Decay incidence (DI)
Natural DI at the fruit surface was visually examined throughout the
storage period using the intensity of microbial decay symptoms, and the
results were reported by the following damage scale:
0 = no decay, 1 = one decay ≤ 2 mm in diameter, 2 = one decay ≤ 5
mm in diameter, 3 = several decays or 25% of berry surface contami­
nated, 4 = decay ≥ 26% of the berry surface contaminated (Meng, Qin,
& Tian, 2010).
Results were expressed as DI% utilizing the following formula:
∑
D = 100 (DI scale) × Number of fruits at the DI scale/5
× Total number of fruits (1)
A. Ehtesham Nia et al.
Fig. 2. Schematic of the effect of different treatments with spray of CTS (chitosan) and cluster immersion in AV (Aloe vera) gel on the berries characteristics after 40
days storage.
2.5. Biochemical analyses
2.5.1. Measurement contents of soluble solids (SSC), pH and
titratable acidity (TA)
The SSC was measured by a manual refractometer (ATAGO Com­
pany, Fukuoka, Japan) according to 932.12 AOAC methods at 25 ◦ C and
the results were reported as the degree of Brix. The pH of the juice was
measured using direct immersion of the electrode (Hanna Instruments
Inc., Romania). TA was determined by titration of 3 mL of grapes extract
dissolved in 27 distilled water with the addition of NaOH (0.1 N) solu­
tion to reach a pH of 8.1. Finally, the numerical value was expressed in
terms of the predominant acid.
2.5.2. Determination of vitamin C
The method for extracting and quantifying vitamin C used in this
study was based on the titration method. Ascorbic acid was evaluated by
titrating 3 mL of juice in 3 mL trichloroacetic acid (TCA, (5% w/v)) with
2, 6-dichlorophenol indophenol (DCPIP, (0.03% w/v)) solution until a
light pink color was formed. The results were expressed as mg 100 g− 1 of
ascorbic acid on a fresh weight (AOAC, 1990) using a standard cali­
bration curve prepared with different concentrations of ascorbic acid.
2.6. Measurements of total anthocyanin content and total phenol content
(TAC and TPC, respectively)
The assessment of TAC was carried out by the pH differential pro­
cedure (Kim, Jeong, & Lee, 2003). To this end, 5 g of homogenized fruit
were centrifuged (at 10000 rpm, 20 min) and then hydrochloric acid
/potassium chloride (pH = 1) and acetate (pH = 4.5) buffers were used
for dilution of supernatants. Absorbance was determined at 520 nm and
700 nm via UV–Vis spectrophotometer (uv1100, Mapada Co, Shanghai,
China) in buffers at pH 1.0 and 4.5. The absorption was calculated by the
following formula and reported as cyanidin-3-O-glycoside equivalents
per 100g of fresh weight of fruit.
3
Food Chemistry 347 (2021) 129012
TAC = [(A520-A700)pH1 − (A520 − A700)pH 4.5] (2)
where A520 and A700 are the absorbances at 520 and 700 nm.
Total phenol content (TPC) in grapes extract was determined during
different stages of storage by the Folin-Ciocalteu method (Singleton,
Orthofer, & Lamuela-Raventós, 1999). For this purpose, 1 mL of the
grapes extract was added 0.30 mL of the methanol and 1.2 mL of the 7%
sodium carbonate solution and 1.5 mL of diluted Folin–Ciocalteu
(Merck, Germany). The obtained mixture was homogenized and incu­
bated at room temperature for 90 min. The absorbance of the samples
was recorded at 750 nm with a spectrophotometer. Gallic acid was used
as a standard for obtaining the calibration curve. The content of phenolic
in the extracts was expressed as mg gallic acid equivalents per 100 g of
grape fresh weight according to the calibration curve prepared with the
same standard. Due to the high concentration of samples, all samples
and standards were diluted with distilled water in a ratio of 1:3 before
being read.
2.7. Radical scavenging activity (DPPH assay)
The DPPH (2, 2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging ac­
tivity was determined following the method proposed by the method
Brand-Williams, Cuvelier, & Berset, (1995) with some modification. In
this method, 50 μL of the methanol extract was properly mixed with 950
μL DPPH (Sigma Aldrich Co., St. Louis, MO, USA) solution by using
0.025 g DPPH in 100 mL of the 85% methanol. After 30 min of incu­
bation period in the dark at room temperature, the absorbance was read
against a blank (methanol) at 517 nm using the UV–VIS spectropho­
tometer. The inhibition percentage of free radical DPPH was calculated
by the following equation:
DPPHsc% = [(control absorbance–sample absorbance/control absorbance] ×
100 (3)
A. Ehtesham Nia et al.
2.8. Firmness
The firmness of the fruit tissues was measured using a digital pres­
sure tester (Lutron, model FG5020, Taiwan). First, 10 berries of each
replicate were longitudinally divided into two equal parts before the
test. Then, a penetrating rod with a 3 mm diameter probe was slowly
pressed on the surface of the berries with an almost stable speed to exude
the juice of each berry. The results were expressed as Kg/f.
2.9. Weight Loss (WL) percentage
WL was evaluated based on Duan, Wu, Stric, & Zhao, (2011). To this
end, grape clusters were weighed in the beginning of the experiment (i.e.
day 0) and at the end of each interval. The difference between the final
and initial weights was considered as total WL. The results were
expressed as a percentage using the following formula:
WL = 100 × [Initial weight − final weight]/Initial weight (4)
2.10. Peroxidase (POD) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity
A modification of the method described by Abassi, Kushad, &
Endress, (1998) was used to determine the POD activity. The reaction
mixture consisted of 1.7 mL NaKPO4 (15 mM NaKPO4 buffer, pH 6.0),
0.5 mL substrates (1 mM H2O2), 0.5 mL guaiacol (0.1 mM) and 0.3 mL
enzyme in a total volume of 3 mL in a cuvette. The absorbance of the
reaction mixture was recorded at 470 nm by a spectrophotometer
(uv1100, Mapada Co, Shanghai, China). POD activity was defined based
on the change in optical density over a three-minute period and
expressed as (U kg− 1) × 10-3.
The PPO activity was determined based on Xing, Xu, Che, Li, & Li,
(2011) method. The reaction mixture consisted of 2.9 mL of the sub­
strate solution (0.02 mol⋅L − 1 catechol in 0.05 mol⋅L − 1 phosphate
buffer, pH 6.5) and 0.1 mL crude extract. The catechol oxidation rate
was evaluated at 420 nm for 2 min at room temperature and the PPO
activity was expressed as U⋅g− 1.
2.11. Malondialdehyde content (MDA)
MDA content of table grape fruits was measured based on Zheng, &
Tian, (2006) method. First, 2 g of fresh fruit tissue was mixed with a
trichloroacetic acid solution (5% w/v) in the mortar and centrifuged for
15 min at 6000 rpm. Then, 2 mL of supernatant was mixed with 2 mL of
thiobarbituric acid (6%) in a test tube. The supernatant was heat-treated
in a warm water bath for 10 min at 90 ◦ C, immediately cooled with ice,
and then centrifuged. Finally, sample absorbance was recorded at 450,
532 and 600 nm and MDA was expressed as µmol g− 1 FW (fresh weight).
2.12. Sensory analysis
A panel test was performed by five men and seven women (30 years
average age) to compare the skin appearance, sweetness, juiciness
(amount of free fluid released from the grape during chewing), intention
to buy and flavor of treated and untreated grape fruit after 40 days of
storage. Next, the referees were requested to perform a quantitative
assessment of the detected differences. The rating for external visual
aspect was based on a five-point scale: l = very low, 2 = low, 3 = me­
dium, 4 = high, and 5 = very high (Paladines et al., 2014).
2.13. Shelf life of fruits
The shelf life was considered from the storage to the expiry date. The
shelf life of the fruits was determined by recording the number of days in
which they remained ideal in storage without any corruption. When
4
Food Chemistry 347 (2021) 129012
fruits were lost more than 50%, it was reported as the end of shelf life
(Taduri, Reddy, Lakshmi, & Joshi, 2017).
2.14. Statistical analysis
The analysis of variance was performed for all characteristics using
PROC GLM in SAS v. 9.2. The data were presented as mean ± standard
errors and significant differences of treatment means for each trait were
identified by the least significant difference (LSD) test at an α = 0.05
level. In addition, principal component analysis (PCA) was used to
identify the relationships between the traits and dispersion of the
treatments using Stat Graphics software (Version 17.2).
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Effects of CTS (chitosan) and AVG (Aloe vera gel) coating
treatments on the bio-chemical characteristics
As shown in Table 1, CTS and AVG coating treatments positively
affected all the examined biochemical characteristics of grape berries in
terms of SSC, pH, TA and SSC/TA (maturity index) during storage. The
SSC content of the grapes gradually increased from the first storage day
until the 40th day. The highest SSC content significantly increased in
CTS 3.0% and CTS 3.0% + AVG 33% treatments while the lowest SSC
was observed in control at the 40th day after storage. An increase in the
SSC content might be due to water losses during the storage as well as
the destruction of starch and its conversion to glucose, fructose, and
sucrose (Duan, Wu, Stric, & Zhao, 2011). Edible coating reduces the
respiration rate and production of ethylene, prevents the effect of
ethylene via the creation of a semi-permeable layer around the fruit, and
creates a modified internal atmosphere (MIA), which could extend the
shelf life and preserve SCC (Bautista-Baños et al., 2006). The decreased
aging process in the pre-harvest application of CTS reduces the pro­
duction and effect of ethylene, reduces respiration, and preserves the
cell wall, which ultimately lead to better SSC preservation.
A slight increase in pH the berries was observed during the storage
period, and control treatment had a maximum pH content (3.97) after
40 days of storage (Table 1). The increase in pH could be due to
biochemical changes of the fruit such as decomposition of organic acids
to sugars and participation in the respiratory cycle. In contrast, AVG
coating treatment showed more stable changes. Coatings effectively
delay the ripening and deterioration of the fruit by slowing the pH
changes. Like the results in the present study, CTS application in
strawberries decreased the pH during storage.
The TA content of the berries gradually decreased during 40 days of
shelf life. The minimum and maximum TAs was observed in control and
CTS 3.0% + AVG 25% treatments at the 40th day after storage,
respectively. CTS3.0% + AV25% treatment showed high TA content on
0–40th day in comparison to the control (Table 1). In the post-harvest
process, sugars and organic acids were used as the main substrates in
the metabolic process, and the factors restricting the metabolic activities
preserved the organic acids. TA usually decreases during storage, and
maximum decline indicates senescence. Edible coatings form a thin
layer on fruit surfaces, which can reduce gas exchange and the fruit
respiration rate (Cosme Silva et al., 2017). Respiration is an enzymatic
process, and the enzymes involved in respiration utilize organic acids as
a substrate (Yaman & Bayoιndιrlι, 2002). Additionally, a rapid decrease
in the TA of control treatment could be attributed to the excessive fungal
population since they could utilize the organic acids to grow (Vieira
et al., 2016).
The SSC/TA ratio of the berries increased during storage period, and
the highest SSC/TA ratio was observed in CTS 3.0% as compared to
other concentrations of CTS + AVG and the control treatments (Table 1).
In this study, SSC berry juice increased, and the TA decreased during
harvest time, which is consistent with the findings of the previous
studies indicating increased TSS and decreased TA in berries during the
A. Ehtesham Nia et al. Food Chemistry 347 (2021) 129012

Table 1 Table 1 (continued )

Effects of pre-harvest spray with CTS (chitosan), postharvest AV (Aloe vera L.) Treatment Days after storage (DAS)
gel coating and combined CTS + AV gel coating on the bio − chemical char­
acteristics of grapes during storage periods. 0 10 20 30 40

Treatment Days after storage (DAS) CTS3.0%+ 30.69 ± 32.96 ± 43.9 ± 47.63 ± 49.26 ±
AV25% 0.47c 0.95d 0.75e 0.94d 0.64d
0 10 20 30 40 CTS2.0%+ 30.21 ± 31.93 ± 49.52 ± 55.28 ± 59.80 ±
SSC (◦ Brix) AV33% 1.88c 0.61de 0.67bc 0.43c 2.26b
Control 14.47 ± 16.31 ± 17.18 ± 17.68 ± 18.02 ± CTS3.0%+ 31.95 ± 38.43 ± 47.60 ± 53.89 ± 57.39 ±
0.70d 0.95d 0.0 8d 0.08e 0.144e AV 33% 1.06bc 0.96c 1.45d 0.82c 0.73c
AV 25% 14.45 ± 16.24 ± 17.16 ± 17.58 ± 18.32 ±
0.51d 0.25d 0.17d 0.34e 0.289e
AV 33% 14.15 ± 16.28 ± 17.1 ± 17.46 ± 18.25 ± grape ripening process (Yang, Wang, Wu, Fang, & Li, 2011).
0.16d 0.36d 0.13d 0.24e 0.057e
CTS 2.0% 17.69 ± 19.19 ± 23.76 ± 24.62 ± 26.98 ±
3.2. Weight Loss (WL) percentage
0.52b 0.27b 0.25c 0.45d 0.12c
CTS 3.0% 18.72 ± 20.58 ± 23.90 ± 26.36 ± 28.53 ±
0.72a 0.55a 0.34bc 0.66bc 0.50a Physiological WL significantly (p < 0.05) increased during the entire
CTS2.0%+ 15.80 ± 17.37 ± 24.41 ± 26.50 ± 27.36 ± storage period for all treatments. In comparison to other treatments, CTS
AV25% 0.57c 0.46c 0.28ab 0.60b 0.32bc 3.0% + AV 33% and CTS 2.0% + AV 33% had better effects on delaying
CTS3.0%+ 19.50 ± 20.26 ± 24.96 ± 27.66 ± 28.00 ±
AV25% 0.28a 0.77a 0.41a 0.51a 0.050ab
the WL of berries (3.35% and 4.53% respectively) than the control
CTS2.0%+ 15.50 ± 16.26 ± 23.97 ± 25.62 ± 26.67 ± (10.43%) (Fig. 3A). It is confirmed that WL in fresh fruit primarily oc­
AV33% 0.96c 0.25d 0.51bc 0.22c 0.68 cd curs due to the reduction of carbon reserves caused by respiration and
CTS3.0%+ 17.00 ± 19.77 ± 23.53 ± 25.62 ± 26.03 ± transpiration in the fruit (Saki, ValizadehKaji, Abbasifar, & Shahrjerdi,
AV 33% 0.50b 0.27ab 0.51c 0.29c 0.45d
2019).
TA (tartaric acid /100 gfw)
Control 0.4331 ± 0.4184 ± 0.3390 ± 0.2998 ± 0.2735 ± The results generally showed that both concentrations of CTS (2.0
0.002 g 0.003 h 0.0003 g 0.005i 0.006 g and 3.0%) with AV33% gel coatings are appropriate since they act as a
AV 25% 0.4389 ± 0.4274 ± 0.3415 ± 0.3152 ± 0.3024 ± protective barrier between the fruit and its surroundings, which reduces
0.0004 g 0.010 g 0.0025 g 0.006 h 0.012f foreign exchange and moisture loss. However, edible coating inhibits
AV 33% 0.4410 ± 0.4367 ± 0.3564 ± 0.3269 ± 0.3176 ±
0.001 g 0.002f 0.0044f 0.008 g 0.006e
WL and starch degradation (Saki, ValizadehKaji, Abbasifar, & Shahr­
CTS 2.0% 0.4740 ± 0.4613 ± 0.4520 ± 0.4248 ± 0.4160 ± jerdi, 2019). However, edible coating inhibits WL, sugar accumulation
0.010f 0.005e 0.006d 0.004f 0.012d and starch degradation (Cosme Silva et al., 2017). Hydrophobic prop­
CTS 3.0% 0.4873 ± 0.4709 ± 0.4436 ± 0.4376 ± 0.4263 ± erties of AVG might restrict WL and result in CTS + AVG treated berries,
0.004e 0.003d 0.005e 0.008e 0.010d
which is in line with the results of the previous studies (Qi, Hu, Jiang,
CTS2.0%+ 0.6064 ± 0.5800 ± 0.5613 ± 0.5571 ± 0.5411 ±
AV25% 0.008b 0.001b 0.009a 0.006b 0.009b Tian, & Li, 2011; Vieira et al., 2016; Shah, & Hashmi, 2020).
CTS3.0%+ 0.6353 ± 0.6144 ± 0.5686 ± 0.5808 ± 0.5684 ±
AV25% 0.0007a 0.006a 0.001a 0.001a 0.005a 3.3. Vitamin C content
CTS2.0%+ 0.5130 ± 0.5093 ± 0.4840 ± 0.4634 ± 0.4462 ±
AV33% 0.0062d 0.002c 0.003c 0.0004d 0.0086c
CTS3.0%+ 0.5320 ± 0.5146 ± 0.4944 ± 0.4754 ± 0.4536 ± Vitamin C is the main water-soluble antioxidant that directly reduces
AV 33% 0.002c 0.009c 0.004b 0.002c 0.007c ROS damages. The maximum vitamin C content observed in CTS3.0%+
PH AV25% and CTS2.0%+AV25% treatments, respectively, while the
Control 3.26 ± 3.52 ± 3.57 ± 3.85 ± 3.97 ±
minimum amount occurred in control treatment on the 30th day after
0.010a 0.015a 0.015a 0.026a 0.03a
AV 25% 3.15 ± 3.20 ± 3.28 ± 3.47 ± 3.40 ± the storage (Fig. 3B). The decrease in vitamin C content during 40 days
0.017 cd 0.017b 0.020c 0.010b 0.01b of storage in control treatment may be related to autoxidation, which
AV 33% 3.13 ± 3.18 ± 3.26 ± 3.45 ± 3.39 ± occurs automatically when the ascorbic acid is combined with oxygen in
0.010d 0.020bc 0.010 cd 0.020b 0.02b the air (Owusu-Yaw, Marshall, Koburger, & Wei, 1988). The results of
CTS 2.0% 3.19 ± 3.21 ± 3.32 ± 3.25 ± 3.26 ±
0.015b 0.010b 0.010b 0.01c 0.010c
this study showed that vitamin C content increases when CTS treatments
CTS 3.0% 3.18 ± 3.20 ± 3.32 ± 3.24 ± 3.25 ± (2.0 and 3.0%) are combined with AVG (25 and 33%) treatments. The
0.005b 0.011b 0.005b 0.02 cd 0.010 cd edible coating had a significant effect on vitamin C retention in coated
CTS2.0%+ 3.14 ± 3.16 ± 3.26 ± 3.19 ± 3.20 ± fruits. The coatings acted as a protective film and controlled the CO2 and
AV25% 0.015 cd 0.011 cd 0.015c 0.025e 0.026e
O2 permeability, which reduced the ascorbic acid autoxidation. Addi­
CTS3.0%+ 3.14 ± 3.15 ± 3.23 ± 3.18 ± 3.19 ±
AV25% 0.010 cd 0.010d 0.017ed 0.020e 0.010e tionally, AVG reduced the activity of the enzyme ascorbate oxidase in
CTS2.0%+ 3.16 ± 3.17 ± 3.23 ± 3.21 ± 3.22 ± the presence of oxygen (Sogvar, Koushesh Saba, & Emamifar, 2016). The
AV33% 0.010c 0.026 cd 0.043ed 0.025ed 0.026ed results of this parameter concerning maintaining vitamin C during
CTS3.0%+ 3.15 ± 3.16 ± 3.21 ± 3.20 ± 3.21 ± storage with AVG were matched with the results of orange and straw­
AV 33% 0.015c 0.052 cd 0.010e 0.015e 0.034e
SSC/TA
berry fruit during storage (Rasouli, Koushesh Saba, & Ramezanian,
Control 33.40 ± 38.98 ± 50.67 ± 58.98 ± 65.92 ± 2019; Sogvar, Koushesh Saba, & Emamifar, 2016).
1.47b 2.29c 1.45b 0.88a 1.29a
AV 25% 32.93 ± 38.02 50.25 ± 55.79 ± 60.63 ±
±
3.4. Total phenols compounds (TPC), total anthocyanin content (TAC)
1.18b 1.19c 0.63b 0.810bc 1.58b
AV 33% 32.09 ± 37.28 ± 48.13 ± 53.46 ± 57.49 ± and malondialdehyde (MDA) content
0.42bc 0.67c 0.86 cd 1.93c 0.96c
CTS 2.0% 37.32 ± 41.60 ± 52.85 ± 57.96 ± 64.90 ± As shown in Fig. 3C, the changes in TPC of berries were nearly
0.43a 1.01b 0.207a 1.60ab 1.70a constant during the storage. TPC gradually increased from the first day
CTS 3.0% 38.43 ± 43.70 53.87 ± 60.26 ± 66.95 ±
of storage until the 20th day and slowly decreased until the 40th day. At
±
1.79a 1.34a 1.10a 2.34a 1.84a
CTS2.0%+ 26.07 ± 29.95 ± 43.50 ± 47.57 ± 50.58 ± the 20th day of storage period, the fruits treated with CTS3.0%+
AV25% 1.28d 0.80e 1.02e 1.36d 0.95d AVG33% had the highest level of TPC (144.36 mg GAE 100 g FW− 1) as
compared with other treatments. The lowest TPC was found in the
control (86.80 mg GAE 100 g FW− 1) after 40 days of storage (Fig. 3C).

5
A. Ehtesham Nia et al.
Fig. 3. Effects of pre-harvest spray with CTS (chitosan) combined with postharvest AV (Aloe vera) gel coating on the weight loss (a), vitamin C content (b), total
phenols compounds (c), anthocyanin content (d), MDA (E) and berry firmness (F) characteristics of grapes during storage periods. Bars represented standard de­
viations of the means.
The grape phenolic compounds including colour, aroma, taste,
firmness and aging are involved in fruit quality. These compounds have
antioxidant activity since they trap free radicals (Sreenivas, Singhal, &
Lele, 2011). Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) is one of the major
enzymes in the synthesis of phenolic compounds whose activity can be
directly related to phenolic compound contents. Thus, the increase in
phenolic compounds could be related to the increase in PAL activity
(Sreenivas et al., 2011). In addition to its antifungal properties, CTS has
the potential to defence-related enzymes such as PAL activity and
phenolic compounds in plants (Bautista-Baños et al., 2006). Decreased
phenolic compounds on the 40th day of storage may be related to the
breakdown of cellular structure caused by fruit aging and degradation. A
decrease in TPC of the control at the end of storage may be related to
phenolic acid depletion during senescence (Palafox-Carlos, Yahia, &
González-Aguilar, 2012).
The results showed that TAC gradually increased in the treated
berries until the 30th day, but then slightly decreased up to the end of
storage duration (Fig. 2D). Berries treated with AVG could significantly
maintain higher TAC than those treated with CTS and control treatment
6
Food Chemistry 347 (2021) 129012
during postharvest period. Ultimately, fruits coated with CTS3.0% +
AV33% showed the highest TAC (60.42 mg 100 g− 1) after 30 days of
storage at 4 ◦ C (Fig. 3D). TAC accumulation can affect wine aging ca­
pacity and colour (Perez-Magarino, & Gonzalez-San, 2006). The results
of the present study showed the anthocyanin accumulation was associ­
ated with increased sugar accumulation. The increase in anthocyanin
levels during the early days of storage may be related to the synthesis of
anthocyanin in fruits during storage (Varasteh, Arzani, Barzegar, &
Zamani, 2012). Additionally, the increase of TAC after harvest was also
reported (Saki, ValizadehKaji, Abbasifar, & Shahrjerdi, 2019). In fact,
the use of CTS3.0%+AV33% coating improved the preservation of TAC,
which is consistent with other observations (Saki, ValizadehKaji,
Abbasifar, & Shahrjerdi, 2019).
MDA as a lipid peroxidation agent is used as an indicator for
oxidative damage to fruit tissue cells. The MDA markedly increased in
control treatment with increasing storage time. However, other treat­
ments exhibited a gradual increase of MDA than control with increase
storage time (Fig. 3E). At the end of storage period, the MDA content in
control, CTS2.0%+AV33% and the CTS3.0%+AV33% coated fruits were
A. Ehtesham Nia et al.
7.57, 3.18 and 3.02 μmol g− 1, respectively, which can be attributed to
the fact that the CTS application and AVG coating potentially induce a
defence system. The results are consistent with the findings of a study by
Xing et al. (2020) which showed that the application of a chitosan + oil
coating could significantly delay the increase of electrolyte leakage and
MDA in sweet peppers and mango fruits during the storage period. In
addition, they indicated that treatments including a CTS-based coating
with modified atmosphere packaging played a key role in controlling
MDA accumulation and reducing the oxidative damage in fresh-cut lotus
root during the storage period.
3.5. Fruit firmness
Firmness, an important sensory feature, is an indicator of the shelf
life and fruit quality. As shown in Fig. 3F, the coated berries softened to a
lesser extent and the slopes of the firmness diagram for the control and
AVG alone treatments were higher than those for the CTS treatments.
Additionally, the berries coated with CTS + AVG were significantly (p <
0.05) more firm than the fruits treated with CTS (Fig. 3F).
The degree of softening of the fruit is directly related to the rate of
decay of the pectin compounds via the enzymatic activity of pectin
methylesterase (PME) and polygalacturonase (PG) enzymes during
ripening. CTS decrease the activity of cell wall degrading enzymes and
reduces fungal caries, which can consequently maintain tissue firmness
compared to the control. Cosme Silva et al. (2017) reported greater
firmness in mango fruits by increasing CTS coating. The results were
consistent with other research on mango, which represented a good
effect of combination treatment with CTS + AVG (Shah, & Hashmi,
2020). As a result, CTS alone, and CTS + AVG could positively affect the
firmness maintenance in grapes by decreasing the activity of cell wall
degrading enzymes, which could decrease fruit senescence and cause
water loss.
3.6. Decay incidence (DI)
Based on the results, DI in fruit samples increased with prolonged
storage time (Fig. 4A). In addition, the applications of AVG alone, CTS
alone, or combined CTS + AVG significantly (P < 0.05) reduced DI in
berries compared to the control. Grapes treated with CTS + AVG coat­
ings started decaying before the 30th day. Additionally, after 40 days of
storage, 35.73% of control berries become contaminated while the
berries treated with CTS 3.0% + AV33% and AV25% coating showed the
lowest DI percentage (5.247% and 6.332%, respectively) at the end of
storage.
The mechanism of the CTS bactericidal activity could be attributed to
the amino groups in its molecular structure adhering to the cell
Fig. 4. Effects of pre-harvest spray with CTS (chitosan) combined with postharvest AV (Aloe vera) gel coating on the decay incidence (a) and shelf‑life (b) of grapes
during storage periods. Bars represented standard deviations of the means.
7
Food Chemistry 347 (2021) 129012
membrane via electrostatic force and disturbing the outer membrane of
the bacteria. Furthermore, the aloe-emodin and aloin in AVG had an
antifungal activity (Navarro et al., 2011). The findings of the present
study demonstrated that CTS + AVG coating significantly maintained
the fruit quality, which is in line with those in the previous studies
indicating that the application of AVG could enhance resistance against
decay agents in strawberry (Sogvar, Koushesh Saba, & Emamifar, 2016)
and orange fruit (Rasouli, Koushesh Saba, & Ramezanian, 2019).
3.7. Antioxidant capacity
As shown in Fig. 5A, the antioxidant capacity of berries is 45.95% in
the beginning, which is at the highest level (63.1% DPPHsc) after a
storage period of the 20 days, and then slowly decreased for all treat­
ments. On the 40th day of storage, the antioxidant capacity in each
treated berry is higher than the control. On the other hand, CTS3.0% +
AVG33% coated grapes had a high antioxidant activity during the entire
storage period with peak values (63.1% DPPHsc) after 20 days of stor­
age. The antioxidant activity of CTS + AVG coated berries are signifi­
cantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher than CTS alone and AVG alone throughout
storage (Fig. 5A) since the fruits treated with CTS + AVG have higher
phenolic content and consequently higher antioxidant activity than CTS
and AVG alone. Additionally, the antioxidant activity depends on the
physiological state of the fruit and decreases during aging (Shah, &
Hashmi, 2020). Moreover, Palafox-Carlos, Yahia, & González-Aguilar,
(2012) observed that the antioxidant activity of mango fruit decreased
during the over-ripening stage. In addition, CTS + AVG retained high
antioxidant activity in mango fruit during post-harvest storage.
3.8. Peroxidase (POD) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity
POD and PPO are key enzymes for evaluating post-harvest physi­
ology of fruits. POD and PPO activity were determined to examine the
effects of CTS and AVG treatments on phenolic metabolism of table
grapes during the storage period (Fig. 5B and C). The control treatment
showed the highest values of PPO activity during storage period. The
results presented in Fig. 5B demonstrated that the PPO activity of con­
trol treatment was 1285 Ug FW− 1 in the beginning and gradually in­
creases to the highest level (2019 Ug FW− 1) up to the 40th day.
However, in the samples treated with CTS + AVG, the PPO activity
decreases over time and the lowest level was observed in CTS 3.0%+
AVG33% (1150 Ug FW− 1).
Enzymatic browning is one of the major postharvest disorders in
grapes. Flesh browning caused by enzymatic oxidation such as PPO and
POD is a serious problem for postharvest storage of table grapes (Ding,
Wang, Gross, & Smith, 2002). PPO activity is influenced by several
A. Ehtesham Nia et al.
Fig. 5. Effects of pre-harvest spray with CTS (chitosan) combined with postharvest AV (Aloe vera) gel coating on the antioxidant activity (a), polyphenol oxidase
(PPO) (b) and Peroxidase (POD) (c) activity of grapes during storage periods. Bars represented standard deviations of the means.
factors such as PH, temperature, phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid
concentration and fruit development stage.
In the present study, the application of high CTS concentrations
effectively prevented PPO-induced browning and reduced the activity of
this enzyme that oxidizes phenolic substrates. Reduction in PPO activity
inhibits the enzymatic browning of berries. Previous studies reported
similar results regarding the positive effect of CTS on reducing enzyme
activity in some fruits during the storage period. In addition, the
inhibitory effect of edible coatings treatment on PPO activity could be
related to low oxygen availability in the table grape (Qi, Hu, Jiang, Tian,
& Li, 2011). The results of the present study showed the beneficial effect
of CTS + AVG treatments on reducing the phenolic compound oxidation
in table grapes.
The treated berries had higher POD activity than the control, which
is consistent with the of Xing et al. (2020) findings in jujube fruits and
mango, respectively. POD activity in treated berries especially by CTS +
AVG treatments, remained higher than control treatment after 40 days
(Fig. 5C). Berries with CTS3.0% + AVG33% had the highest POD ac­
tivity on the 40th day of storage (45.633 U kg− 1 × 10–3). POD, as a
major enzyme in fruits, can help reduce oxidative damage. Based on the
results, coating treatments increased POD activity and prevented PPO
activity, which indicates that CTS induced defence enzyme activity and
reduced oxidative damage (Xing et al., 2020).
8
Food Chemistry 347 (2021) 129012
3.9. Shelf life of fruits
All treatments in this study affected the shelf life of the grape fruit.
Based on the results showed in Fig. 4B, the lowest (21 days) and highest
(40 days) fruit shelf life is in the control treatment and the CTS3.0%+
AVG25% treatment, respectively. However, no significant difference
was found between AVG (25% and 33%) and CTS treatments (2.0% and
3.0%) (Fig. 4B). In previous studies, the shelf life of the treated fig (Saki,
ValizadehKaji, Abbasifar, & Shahrjerdi, 2019) and mango (Taduri,
Reddy, Lakshmi, & Joshi, 2017) was significantly longer than the con­
trol during the storage period.
3.10. Sensory evaluation
Different treatments including foliar spraying CTS and AVG coating
alone and CTS + AVG treatments significantly affected sensory attri­
butes. Berries sprayed with CTS (3.0%) followed by AVG (33%) signif­
icantly exhibited the highest mean sensory scores in flavour index,
sweetness, juiciness, skin appearance and consumer intent than CTS,
AVG and control (Fig. 6). The CTS + AVG treatments maintained the
desired skin appearance of the berries by reducing the decay index and
preserving the juice of the berry by preventing the water loss from the
fruit surface by the coating, which encourages the consumer to buy
grape. However, in untreated fruits, by reducing the water content of the
berries, the skin appearance of the berries could not create the required
A. Ehtesham Nia et al.
Fig. 6. The average sensory scores of control, CTS, AVG and CTS + AVG treatments berries after 40 days of cold storage. A 5-point scale was used for the sen­
sory scores.
freshness to encourage consumers to purchase the fruit. The odour of the
berries was not affected by the treatments in this study.
3.11. Principal component analysis (PCA)
PCA was performed to examine the effect of foliar-applied CTS and
AVG on the physicochemical properties and quality parameters of the
table grape. Fig. 7 shows the compound loadings and the distributions of
the studied physicochemical parameters across the first two components
(PCs). The first two PCs cumulatively explained 90.22% of the variation
(PC1 = 80.49% and PC2 = 9.73%). As shown, PC1 is the major
discriminator in explaining the variance among the physicochemical
properties. PCs based on biochemical parameters in mango fruit showed
that the first and second components accounted for 83.4% of the total
variance (Ebrahimi, & Rastegar, 2020). Based on the biplot analysis,
anthocyanins, DPPH, firmness, SSC, TPC and vitamin C contribute to the
PC1 loading, which suggests that these traits are more easily influenced
Fig. 7. Principal component analysis (PCA) scatter of pre-harvest spray with CTS (chitosan) combined with postharvest AVG (Aloe vera gel) coating on the phys­
icochemical properties and quality parameters of grapes during storage periods.
9
Food Chemistry 347 (2021) 129012
by foliar-applied CTS and AVG coated treatments (Fig. 7).
The control, AV25% and AV33% showed negative scores. The
CTS2.0% and CTS3.0% were in the middle while the combined treat­
ments include (CTS2.0%+AVG25%, CTS3.0%+AVG25%, CTS2.0%+
AVG33% and CTS3.0%+AVG33%) indicated positive scores, respec­
tively. Based on the results, major differences were observed between
treated and untreated berries in physicochemical properties and quality
parameters related to PC1. The physicochemical properties with nega­
tive effects on the quality of berries (PPO, WL, MDA, PH and DI) and
SSC/TA contributed to the PC2 loading. Thus, control, CTS2.0% and
CTS3.0% showed significant differences in compounds related to PC2,
respectively. As shown in the biplot, the physicochemical properties of
each treatment were clearly differentiated. Thus, the combined treat­
ments can enhance the physicochemical properties in berries. Addi­
tionally, CTS2.0%+AVG33% and CTS3.0%+AVG33% treatments were
superior to CTS2.0%+AVG25% and CTS3.0%+AVG25% treatments in
physicochemical properties and quality parameters in the berries.
A. Ehtesham Nia et al.
4. Conclusion
Although several studies have examined the efficiency of CTS and
AVG treatments, there is scanty research on the evaluation of CTS pre-
harvest application in preserving fruit quality and post-harvest decay
control. Obviously, post-harvest decay development often results from
inoculation, which survives and accumulates on the fruit on the post-
harvest packaging chain or in the field. The present study evaluated
the effective role of pre-harvest CTS application under fruit development
stages with the post-harvest application of AVG coating in table grapes.
The results suggested that combined CTS + AVG treatments would be
beneficial to maintain the quality of the table grapes and extend their
shelf life. In addition, CTS + AVG 33% coating was the most effective
treatment in comparison to control, CTS only, and CTS + AVG 25% in
storage life of table grape fruit. CTS + AVG 33% coating extended the
storage life of table grape to 15 days by significantly reducing MDA, DI,
WL, PPO, firmness loss and also maintaining the overall quality index,
antioxidant capacity, POD, TPC, vitamin C, SSC and anthocyanin con­
tent. Pre-harvest application of CTS 3.0% for 25 days with postharvest
AVG 33% coating of grape berries not only improved all the studied
physiological parameters but also partly mitigated the aging-induced
negative effects in the storage period. Overall, synthetic fungicides
could be successfully replaced with pre- and post-harvest alternative
treatments to increase the quality of table fruits during the post-harvest
period.
CRediT authorship contribution statement
Abdollah Ehtesham Nia: Supervision, Project administration,
Visualization, Writing - review & editing. Shirin Taghipour: Validation,
Formal analysis, Data curation, Writing - review & editing. Sara Siah­
mansour: Validation, Formal analysis, Data curatiton.
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial
interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence
the work reported in this paper.
Appendix A. Supplementary data
Supplementary data to this article can be found online at https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.129012.
References
A.O.A.C.. (1990). Official Methods of Analysis (15th Edition). Washington DC: Association
of Official Analytical Chemist.
Abassi, N., Kushad, M., & Endress, A. (1998). Active oxygen-scavenging enzymes
activities in developing apple flowers and fruits. Scientia Horticulturae, 74(3),
183–194. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0304 4238(98)00077-6.
Baswal, A. K., Dhaliwal, H. S., Singh, Z., Mahajan, B., Kalia, A., & Gill, S. K. (2020).
Influence of carboxy methylcellulose, chitosan and beeswax coatings on cold storage
life and quality of Kinnow mandarin fruit. Scientia Horticulturae, 260, Article 108887.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2019.108887.
Bautista-Baños, S., Hernández-Lauzardo, A., Velázquez-Del Valle, M., Hernández-
López, M., Ait Barka, E., Bosquez-Molina, E., & Wilson, C. (2006). Chitosan as a
potential natural compound to control pre and postharvest diseases of horticultural
commodities. Crop Protection, 25(2), 108–118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
cropro.2005.03.010.
Brand-Williams, W., Cuvelier, M. E., & Berset, C. (1995). Use of a free radical method to
evaluate antioxidant activity. Food Science Technology., 28(1), 25–30. https://doi.
org/10.1016/S0023-6438(95)80008-5.
Cosme Silva, G. M., Silva, W. B., Medeiros, D. B., Salvador, A. R., Cordeiro, M. H. M., da
Silva, N. M., & Mizobutsi, G. P. (2017). The chitosan affects severely the carbon
metabolism in mango (Mangifera indica L. cv. Palmer) fruit during storage. Food
Chemistry, 237, 372–378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.05.123.
Ding, C. K., Wang, C. Y., Gross, K. C., & Smith, D. L. (2002). Jasmonate and salicylate
induce the expression of pathogenesis related protein genes and increase resistance
to chilling injury in tomato fruit. Planta., 214, 895–901. https://doi.org/10.1007/
s00425-001-0698-9.
10
Food Chemistry 347 (2021) 129012
Duan, J., Wu, R., Stric, B. C., & Zhao, Y. (2011). Effect of edible coatings of fresh
blueberries (Duke and Elliott) under commercial storage conditions. Postharvest
Biology and Technology, 59(1), 71–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
postharvbio.2010.08.006.
Ebrahimi, Fariba, & Rastegar, Somayeh (2020). Preservation of mango fruit with guar-
based edible coatings enriched with Spirulina platensis and Aloe vera extract during
storage at ambient temperature. Scientia Horticulturae, 265, 109258. https://doi.org/
10.1016/j.scienta.2020.109258.
Kim, D., Jeong, S. W., & Lee, C. Y. (2003). Antioxidant capacity of phenolic
phytochemicals from various cultivars of plums. Food Chemistry, 81(3), 321–326.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0308-8146(02)00423-5.
Lin, Y., Li, N., Lin, H., Lin, M., Chen, Y., Wang, H., & Lin, Y. (2020). Effects of chitosan
treatment on the storability and quality properties of longan fruit during storage.
Food Chemistry, 306, 125627. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.125627.
Meng, X. H., Qin, G.-Z., & Tian, S. P. (2010). Influences of preharvest spraying
Cryptococcus laurentii combined with postharvest chitosan coating on postharvest
diseases and quality of table grapes in storage. LWT – Food Science and Technology, 43
(4), 596–601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2009.10.007.
Mirdehghan, S. H., & Rahimi, S. (2016). Pre-harvest application of polyamines enhances
antioxidants and table grape (Vitis vinifera L.) quality during postharvest period. Food
Chemistry, 196, 1040–1047. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2015.10.038.
Mondal, M. I. H., & Saha, J. (2019). Antimicrobial, UV resistant and thermal comfort
properties of chitosan- and Aloe vera-modified cotton woven fabric. Journal of
Polymers and the Environment, 27(2), 405–420. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-
018-1354-9.
Navarro, D., Díaz-Mula, H. M., Guillén, F., Zapata, P. J., Castillo, S., Serrano, M., &
Martínez-Romero, D. (2011). Reduction of nectarine decay caused by Rhizopus
stolonifer, Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium digitatum with Aloe vera gel alone or
with the addition of thymol. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 151(2),
241–246. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2011.09.009.
OIV (Organisation Internationale de la vigne et du vin). (2018). State of the
vitiviniculture world market, 2018. http://www.oiv.int/en/statistiques/.
Owusu-Yaw, J., Marshall, M. R., Koburger, J. A., & Wei, C. I. (1988). Low pH inactivation
of pectinesterase in single strength orange juice. Journal of Food Science, 53(2),
504–507. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfds.1988.53.issue-210.1111/j.1365-2621.1988.
tb07742.x.
Palafox-Carlos, H., Yahia, E. M., & González-Aguilar, G. A. (2012). Identification and
quantification of major phenolic compounds from mango (Mangifera indica, cv.
Ataulfo) fruit by HPLC–DAD–MS/MS-ESI and their individual contribution to the
antioxidant activity during ripening. Food Chemistry, 135(1), 105–111. https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.04.103.
Pérez-Magariño, S., & González-San José, M. L. (2006). Polyphenols and colour
variability of red wines made from grapes harvested at different ripeness grade. Food
Chemistry, 96(2), 197–208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2005.02.021.
Puvvada, Y. S., Vankayalapati, S., & Sukhavasi, S. (2012). Extraction of chitin from
chitosan from exoskeleton of shrimp for application in the pharmaceutical industry
International Current. Pharmaceutical Journal, 1(9), 258–263.
Qi, H., Hu, W., Jiang, A., Tian, M., & Li, Y. (2011). Extending shelf-life of Fresh-cut “Fuji”
apples with chitosan-coatings. Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies, 12(1),
62–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifset.2010.11.001.
Rasouli, M., Koushesh Saba, M., & Ramezanian, A. (2019). Inhibitory effect of salicylic
acid and Aloe vera gel edible coating on microbial load and chilling injury of orange
fruit. Scientia Horticulturae, 247, 27–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
scienta.2018.12.004.
Saki, M., ValizadehKaji, B., Abbasifar, A., & Shahrjerdi, I. (2019). Effect of chitosan
coating combined with thymol essential oil on physicochemical and qualitative
properties of fresh fig (Ficus carica L.) fruit during cold storage. Journal of Food
Measurement and Characterization., 13(2), 1147–1158. https://doi.org/10.1007/
s11694-019-00030-w.
Shah, Sadiq, & Hashmi, Majid S. (2020). Chitosan-Aloe vera gel coating delays
postharvest decay of mango fruit. Horticulture, Environment, and Biotechnology., 61
(2), 279–289. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13580-019-00224-7.
Shi, S., Wang, W., Liu, L., Wu, S., Wei, Y., & Li, W. (2013). Effect of chitosan/nano-silica
coating on the physicochemical characteristics of longan fruit under ambient
temperature. Journal of Food Engineering, 118(1), 125–131. https://doi.org/10.1016/
j.jfoodeng.2013.03.029.
Shiri, M. A., Bakhshi, D., Chasemnezhad, M., Dadi, M., Papachatzis, A., & Kalorizou, H.
(2013). Chitosan coating improves the shelf life and postharvest quality of table
grape (Vitis vinifera) cultivar Shahroudi. Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry,
37, 148–156. https://doi.org/10.3906/tar-1101-1671.
Singleton, V. L., Orthofer, R., & Lamuela-Raventós, R. M. (1999). Analysis of total
phenols and other oxidation substrates and antioxidants by means of folin-ciocalteu
reagent. Methods in Enzymology, 152–178. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0076-6879(99)
99017-1.
Sogvar, O. B., Koushesh Saba, M., & Emamifar, A. (2016). Aloe vera and ascorbic acid
coatings maintain postharvest quality and reduce microbial load of strawberry fruit.
Postharvest Biology and Technology, 114, 29–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
postharvbio.2015.11.019.
Sreenivas, K. M., Singhal, R. S., & Lele, S. S. (2011). Chemical pretreatments and partial
dehydration of ash gourd (Benincasa hispida) pieces for preservation of its quality
attributes. LWT – Food Science and Technology, 44(10), 2281–2284. https://doi.org/
10.1016/j.lwt.2011.06.009.
Taduri, M., Reddy, N. N., Lakshmi, J., & Joshi, V. (2017). Effect of pre-harvest treatments
on shelf life and quality of mango CV Amrapali. Journal of Pharmaceutical Innovation,
6(7), 54–59.
A. Ehtesham Nia et al.
Varasteh, F., Arzani, K., Barzegar, M., & Zamani, Z. (2012). Changes in anthocyanins in
arils of chitosan-coated pomegranate (Punica granatum L. cv. Rabbab-e-Neyriz) fruit
during cold storage. Food Chemistry, 130(2), 267–272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
foodchem.2011.07.031.
Vieira, J. M., Flores-López, M. L., de Rodríguez, D. J., Sousa, M. C., Vicente, A. A., &
Martins, J. T. (2016). Effect of chitosan– Aloe vera coating on postharvest quality of
blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) fruit. Postharvest Biology and Technology, 116,
88–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2016.01.011.
Xing, Y., Xu, Q., Che, Z., Li, X., & Li, W. (2011). Effects of chitosan-oil coating on blue
mold disease and quality attributes of jujube fruits. Food & Function, 2(8), 466–474.
https://doi.org/10.1039/C1FO10073D.
Xing, Y., Yang, H., Guo, X., Bi, X., Liu, X., Xu, Q., & Zheng, Y. (2020). Effect of chitosan/
Nano-TiO2 composite coatings on the postharvest quality and physicochemical
11
Food Chemistry 347 (2021) 129012
characteristics of mango fruits. Scientia Horticulturae, 263, 109135. https://doi.org/
10.1016/j.scienta.2019.109135.
Yaman, Ö., & Bayoιndιrlι, L. (2002). Effects of an edible coating and cold storage on
shelf-life and quality of cherries. LWT – Food science and technology, 35(2), 146–150.
https://doi.org/10.1006/fstl.2001.0827.
Yang, C., Wang, Y., Wu, B., Fang, J., & Li, S. (2011). Volatile compounds evolution of
three table grapes with different flavour during and after maturation. Food
Chemistry, 128(4), 823–830. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2010.11.029.
Zheng, X., & Tian, S. (2006). Effect of oxalic acid on control of postharvest browning of
litchi fruit. Food Chemistry, 96(4), 519–523. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
foodchem.2005.02.049.