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Effect of Aloe vera gel-based edible coating on microbiological safety and

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Effect of Aloe vera gel-based edible coating on

microbiological safety and quality of tomato

Nida Firdous, Moazzam Rafiq Khan, Masood Sadiq Butt, Maratab Ali,
Muhammad Asim Shabbir, Ahmad Din, Abid Hussain, Azhari Siddeeg &
Muhammad Faisal Manzoor

To cite this article: Nida Firdous, Moazzam Rafiq Khan, Masood Sadiq Butt, Maratab Ali,
Muhammad Asim Shabbir, Ahmad Din, Abid Hussain, Azhari Siddeeg & Muhammad Faisal
Manzoor (2022) Effect of Aloe vera gel-based edible coating on microbiological safety and quality of
tomato, CyTA - Journal of Food, 20:1, 355-365, DOI: 10.1080/19476337.2022.2136760

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/19476337.2022.2136760

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CYTA – JOURNAL OF FOOD
2022, VOL. 20, NO. 1, 355–365
https://doi.org/10.1080/19476337.2022.2136760

Effect of Aloe vera gel-based edible coating on microbiological safety and quality
of tomato
Nida Firdousa,b,*, Moazzam Rafiq Khana, Masood Sadiq Butta, Maratab Alic,d, Muhammad Asim Shabbira,
Ahmad Dina, Abid Hussaine, Azhari Siddeegf and Muhammad Faisal Manzoorg,h,*
a
National Institute of Food Science & Technology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan; bDepartment of Horticulture, College of Food,
Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; cSchool of Agricultural Engineering and Food
Science, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, Shandong, PR China; dSchool of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Management
and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan; eFaculty of Life Science, Department of Agriculture and Food Technology, Gilgit-Baltistan, Karakoram
International University, Pakistan; fDepartment of Food Engineering and Technology, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, University Gezira,
Wad Medani, Sudan; gGuangdong provincial Key Laboratory of Food Intelligent Manufacturing, Foshan University, Foshan, China; hSchool of
Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China

ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY

This study investigated the effects of Aloe vera gel (AVG) based on edible coating solutions on Received 19 May 2022
tomatoes to maintain the postharvest quality during storage at 10°C for 30 days. The AVG Accepted 11 October 2022
coating solutions were prepared with different percentages of extracted gel ranging from 0 to KEYWORDS
80% with addition to calcium chloride (2%), ascorbic acid (4%), carboxymethyl cellulose (3%), Post-harvest; quality; shelf
glycerol (2%), and oleic acid (3 mL). Results showed that coating solutions containing 60 to 80% life; tomatoes; Aloe vera gel
AVG had better results than coating solutions containing 0 to 40% gel. Contents of ascorbic coating
acid, sugar, flavonoids, carotenoids, lycopene, and pectin remained higher, and total microbial
count remained lesser in fruits treated with a higher concentration of AVG over the storage PALABRAS CLAVE
time. Tomatoes coated with 60% and 80% Aloe vera gel also showed maximum antioxidant Poscosecha; Calidad; Vida
útil; Tomates; Recubrimiento
efficiency, absence of E. coli, and no signs of fungal (Botrytis cinerea) growth on tomatoes. In de gel de Aloe vera
conclusion, applying 60–80% AVG edible coatings might be suggested to maintain the post­
harvest quality of tomato fruit.

Efecto del recubrimiento comestible a base de gel de Aloe vera [sábila] sobre la
seguridad microbiológica y la calidad del tomate
RESUMEN
A fin de mantener la calidad de los tomates durante su almacenamiento poscosecha a 10°C por un
periodo de 30 días, el presente estudio investigó los efectos del gel de Aloe Vera (AVG), preparado
en soluciones de recubrimiento comestibles que contenían diversas concentraciones del mismo,
sobre los tomates. Las soluciones de recubrimiento de AVG se elaboraron con diferentes porcen­
tajes de gel extraído que iban del 0 al 80% a las que se adicionaron cloruro de calcio (2%), ácido
ascórbico (4%), carboximetilcelulosa (3%), glicerol (2%) y ácido oleico (3 mL). Se constató que las
soluciones de recubrimiento que contienen entre 60 y 80% de AVG proporcionaron mejores
resultados que las que contienen entre 0 y 40% de gel. Los contenidos de ácido ascórbico,
azúcar, flavonoides, carotenoides, licopeno y pectina se mantuvieron más altos, mientras que el
recuento microbiano total siguió siendo menor en las frutas tratadas con soluciones de mayor
concentración de AVG durante el tiempo de almacenamiento. Asimismo, los tomates recubiertos
con 60% y 80% de gel de Aloe vera mostraron la máxima eficacia antioxidante, ausencia de E.coli
y ningún signo de crecimiento de hongos (Botrytis cinerea) en ellos. En conclusión, para mantener la
calidad poscosecha de los frutos de tomate, podrían aplicarse recubrimientos comestibles de 60–
80% de AVG.

1. Introduction
Climacteric fruits such as tomatoes are highly perishable,
have a limited shelf life (7 to 10 days), and are prone to
early quality deterioration under ambient conditions.
Tomatoes are susceptible to ethylene and tend to ripen
sharply, particularly after harvest. That’s why; growers need
to slow down the ripening process of tomatoes after har­
vest to make them available to the commercial markets as
wholesome fruit. Tomatoes are a vital source of nutritional
and therapeutic compounds, including ascorbic acid,
sugars, total phenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, and lycopene
(Chrysargyris et al., 2016). For maintaining the fruit texture,
cell wall compounds such as pectin play essential roles in
tomato fruit softening and texture integrity (Wang et al.,
2018). Meanwhile, undesired storage environments and
microbial/fungal attacks may primarily affect such

CONTACT Azhari Siddeeg azhari_siddeeg@uofg.edu.sd Department of Food Engineering and Technology, Faculty of Engineering and Technology,
University Gezira, Wad Medani, Sudan; Muhammad Faisal Manzoor faisaluos26@gmail.com Guangdong provincial Key Laboratory of Food Intelligent
Manufacturing, Foshan University, Foshan, China
*
Nida Firdous and Muhammad Faisal Manzoor equally contributed to this article.
Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/19476337.2022.2136760
© 2022 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use,
distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
356 N. FIRDOUS ET AL.
compounds, thus leading to postharvest quality losses of
tomatoes.
The edible coating is a robust approach to enhancing the
shelf life of the produce by preventing anaerobiosis in per­
ishable fruit like tomatoes (Hasan et al., 2021; Iftikhar et al.,
2022; Wahab et al., 2021). Various kinds of biodegradable,
edible coatings (i.e. seed mucilage, microbial gums, pectin
polysaccharides, corn starch, gum arabic, polyalcohols, etc.)
are in practice to overcome postharvest losses in horticul­
tural products (Alizadeh-Sani et al., 2019; Anjum et al., 2020;
Beikzadeh et al., 2020; Dhall, 2013; Panahirad et al., 2021;
Raghav et al., 2012; Rehman et al., 2021; Villafañe, 2017).
Edible coatings create a modified atmosphere by generating
a semi-permeable barrier against O2, CO2, solute, and moist­
ure exchange. Subsequently, oxidation rate, respiration rate,
ethylene production, textural strength, flavour quality, and
water loss remained controlled, maintaining the fruit quality
for a longer time (Ali et al., 2010).
Hydro colloidal Aloe vera gel (AVG) can potentially extend
the shelf life and maintain the postharvest quality of various
perishable products (Chrysargyris et al., 2016). The AVG con­
tains 99% gel component along with numerous essential
substances such as polysaccharides, amino acids, organic
acids, minerals (zinc, calcium, copper, magnesium, manga­
nese, and phosphorus), essential enzymes, sterols, gibberel­
lins, and water- and fat-soluble vitamins and phenolic
compounds, many of which have antimicrobial and anti-
mutagenic properties (Anjum et al., 2020; Ramachandra &
Rao, 2008). The AVG is generally considered a safe (GRAS)
coating material due to its accessible biochemical properties,
biodegradability, antimicrobial action, non-toxicity, film-
forming properties, and eco-friendly nature. It is bio-
preservative, affordable, technologically viable, and easily
applicable. The AVG contains various components exhibiting
antimicrobial activities, such as anthraquinones that could
show the inhibitory potential against Staphylococcus aureus
and E. coli. The mechanism behind its antimicrobial action is
the inhibition of solute transport through membranes.
A previous study reported its effectiveness against food-
borne pathogens such as Salmonella typhimurium, Klebsialla
pneumonia, Bacillus cereus, and E. coli (Alemdar & Agaoglu,
2009).
In contrast, adverse effects of various agrochemicals
and synthetic antimicrobial components applied to fruits
and vegetables have been reported to affect human
health and the environment as well as natural edible coat­
ings (Garcia & Davidov-pardo, 2021; Kahramanoğlu et al.,
2020; Palou et al., 2015; Rehman et al., 2022). In this
scenario, AVG-based edible coatings seem like a green
alternative attributed with cost-effective and readily
Table 1. Aloe vera gel (AVG) based edible coatings formulation: (total volume = 1000 mL).
Tabla 1. Formulación de recubrimientos comestibles a base de gel de Aloe vera (AVG): (volumen total = 1000 mL).
Aloe vera gel (mL) Glycerol (2%) (mL) Ascorbic acid (4%) (mL)
A0 0 20
A20 200 20
A40 400 20
A60 600 20
A80 800 20
A0: Edible coating with 0% AVG, A20: Edible coating with 20% AVG, A40: Edible coating with 40% AVG, A60: Edible coating with 60% AVG, A80: Edible coating
with 80% AVG.
A0: Recubrimiento comestible con 0% de AVG, A20: Recubrimiento comestible con 20% de AVG, A40: Recubrimiento comestible con 40% de AVG, A60:
Recubrimiento comestible con 60% de AVG, A80: Recubrimiento comestible con un 80% de AVG.
available than already existing synthetic materials
(Chrysargyris et al., 2016). Meanwhile, an optimized for­
mulation of the AVG as edible coatings material for toma­
toes still needs to be investigated. Thus, the present
research was designed to develop and optimize the AVG-
based edible coatings with different AVG concentrations
as green alternative coating material than synthetic agents
and its impact on the quality attributes and microbiologi­
cal safety of tomatoes during postharvest storage.
2. Material and methods
2.1. Material and preparation of coating solutions
Freshly harvested “Aquila” tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum
L.) were purchased based on regularity in size, shape, color
and free of physical damage or absence of fungal attack at
the pink stage from King Produce Market (4000 K Airline Dr,
Houston, T× 77022, USA) and transported to a laboratory in
Department of Horticultural Science, University of
Minnesota, USA. All fruit was washed to remove dirt and
clean it. Five batches with 26 tomatoes each were formed,
and the fruit was stored at 10°C for 30 d to avoid undesirable
biochemical changes. Fresh healthy Aloe vera (Aloe vera (L.)
Burm.f.) leaves, 76 to 91 cm long, were purchased from San
Rey Produce. Inc. (10101 S Keystone Dr, Pharr, T× 78577,
USA). All chemicals used in this study were procured from
the Alfa Aesar and Sigma Aldrich Company.
Aloe (hydroparenchyma) was separated from the leaves
after removing the outer tissue layers. The hydroparenchyma
gel matrix was mixed in an electronic blender (Vitamix E310
Explorian Blender) for 15 min at 25°C to get a homogeneous
mixture, and the homogeneous mixture was filtered through
a filter cloth of normal mesh size (1–2 mm) to get a gel-free
for fibers and coarse particles. The gel was heated for pas­
teurization at 72°C for 45 min in a stainless-steel jar using
a heating plate and then stabilized by cooling at room
temperature (25°C). All coating solutions of AVG (0%, 20%,
40%, 60%, and 80%) were prepared contained with CaCl2
(2%) as a crosslinking agent, ascorbic acid (4%) as an anti­
oxidant, CMC (3%) as a gelling agent, glycerol (2%), and 3 mL
oleic acid to avoid precipitation. Distilled water was added to
make the rest of the solution volume. Almost 4 litres of
coating solution were prepared separately for 26 tomatoes.
The detailed treatment plan is shown in Table 1.
2.2. Homogeneity of coating solutions
Homogeneity was determined to ensure solution stability
against gravity assays using a spectrophotometric method
CMC (3%) (mg) CaCl2 (2%) (mg) Distilled water (mL)
40 30 30 880
40 30 30 680
40 30 30 480
40 30 30 280
40 30 30 80

described by Mehyar et al. (2012). An aliquot of 10 mL coat­
ing solution was added to a plastic test tube, and then test
tubes were incubated at 25°C. After 48 h, the samples from
the upper and bottom layers of solution were taken to
measure optical density (OD) using a spectrophotometer
(DU-8200) at the wavelength of 620 nm.
2.3. Application of coating solutions on tomatoes
The AVG coating solutions were applied on tomato surfaces
by immersion/dipping for 5 min and then dried at room
temperature for 2 to 4 h in the open air.
2.4. Chemical analysis of tomatoes
Ascorbic acid was determined by visual titration of the 2,
6-dichlorophenol indophenol dye method as described by
Athmaselvi et al. (2013). An aliquot of 10 mL tomato juice
was mixed with 0.4% oxalic acid solution to make the final
volume of 100 mL. After that mixture was filtered through
a cotton cloth to remove the fibrous material. Finally, 10 mL
of filtrate was mixed with 15 mL of 0.4% oxalic acid and
titrated against 2, 6-dichlorophenol indophenol dye until
light pink color appeared. Contents of AsA were calculated
by comparing the known concentrations of standard solu­
tion using the following formula:
Ascorbic acidðmg=gFWÞ ¼ 1 � R � V=R1 � W � V1
Where R is the volume of dye used against sample extract
titration, V is the volume of sample by adding 0.4% oxalic
acid, R1 is the volume of dye used against standard titration,
W is the weight of the sample, and V1 is the volume of
filtrate used.
Reducing sugars were measured spectrophotometrically
by 3,5- DNSA assay as described by Pila and Gol (2010).
Two grams of frozen sample in powder form were homo­
genized with 5 mL of deionized water and then centri­
fuged at 10,000 × g for 10 min at 4°C. Then, the filtrate
was collected for analysis of reducing sugars. The DNSA
solution was prepared by mixing 10 g DNSA in 200 mL of 2
mol/L NaOH solution. An aliquot of 2 mL of DNSA reagent
was homogenized with 4 mL of sample filtrate in plastic
test tubes. The blank mixture was prepared by homogeniz­
ing 4 mL of distilled water to 2 mL of DNSA solution. Both
blank and sample mixtures were placed in a boiling water
bath for 5 min and then cooled at ambient temperature
until they appeared red-brown. The colored solution was
then mixed with 1 mL 0.5% w/v sodium sulfate to absorb
the dissolved oxygen and obtain a stable color solution.
Finally, the mixture was run against blank at 540 nm wave­
length using a spectrophotometer (UV-1800, Shimadzu,
Ltd., Japan). Final results were estimated by comparing
the known concentration of reducing sugars in standard
solution and expressed in mg/g FW.
Total sugars were estimated by the anthrone method using
a spectrophotometer as determined by Harsh et al. (2016).
Briefly, 2.0 g of tomato sample was ground in a mortar and
pestle using hot aqueous ethanol (v/v 80%). Afterwards, the
mixture was centrifuged at 8,000 × g for 12 min at room
temperature. An aliquot of 0.5 mL of supernatant was collected
in a plastic test tube, and 0.5 mL of deionized water was added
to make the final volume up to 1 mL followed by the addition
of 0.2% anthrone reagent. After that, the mixture was heated in
CYTA - JOURNAL OF FOOD 357
a boiling water bath for 10 min and then placed at room
temperature. The final solution was run at 620 nm wavelength
to measure the green to dark green color intensity on
a spectrophotometer (UV-1800, Shimadzu, Ltd., Japan). Final
results were expressed in mg/g FW.
2.5. Total antioxidant efficiency, total phenols,
flavonoids, carotenoids, and lycopene contents
Total antioxidants efficiency or FRAP (Ferric reducing anti­
oxidant power) assays were determined spectrophotome­
trically as described by Guo et al. (2003). FRAP assay
method is based on reducing a ferric-tripyridyltriazine to
ferrous colored compound in the presence of antioxidants.
Briefly, 2.0 g of tomato sample was ground using a pestle
and mortar and added deionized water with a ratio of 1:9
w/v. Afterwards, the mixture was centrifuged at 8,000 ×
g for 12 min, and the supernatant was collected for FRAP
assay. The FRAP mixture was prepared by mixing the 3.0 mL
of 10 mmol/L 2,4,6- tripyridy-s-triazine (TPTZ) solution, 20
mL of 0.4 mol/L acetate buffer, 3.0 mL of 20 mmol/L ferric
chloride, and 40 mmol/L HCL (pH 3.5). FRAP mixture was
prepared freshly and subjected to heat at 37°C in a hot
water bath before use. Finally, 50 µL of sample supernatant
was mixed with 2 mL FRAP mixture and 0.4 mL distilled
water, then subjected to incubation at 37°C for 8 min
before running the solution at 593 nm wavelength using
a spectrophotometer (UV-1800, Shimadzu, Ltd., Japan). The
1.0 mmol/L FeSO4 was used as the standard solution. The
final results were estimated by comparing the known con­
centration of FeSO3 standard solution (1.0 mmol/L) and
expressed in mM FRAP/g FW.
Pectin was isolated and extracted by ultrasound-assisted
extraction (UAE) method, as described by Grassino et al.
(2016). The UAE process was conducted at 60 and 80°C
with a frequency of 37 kHz using an ultrasonic bath
(Elmasconic, Germany). The time slots for sonication were
15, 45, and 90 min. Finally, the mixture was filtered through
Whatman no.3 under vacuum conditions. The 10 mL of etha­
nol (96%) precipitated the mixture residues. After washing
the residues with ethanol and acetone, pectin contents were
dried at 40°C using a vacuum oven. Final results were calcu­
lated and expressed in mg/g FW.
Lycopene in tomato juice was determined quantitatively
using a slightly modified spectrophotometrical method as
described by Choudhari and Ananthanarayan (2007). A 100
µL of homogenized tomato fruit juice was mixed with 8.0 mL
of acetone:methanol: hexane (1:1:2) solution in a screw cap
tube. Afterwards, 1.0 mL of water was added and vortexed.
The mixture was placed at room temperature for at least 10
min to allow separation of mixture phases and the disap­
pearance of air bubbles. Finally, an upper solution layer was
run at 503 nm wavelength using a spectrophotometer (UV-
1800, Shimadzu, Ltd., Japan). Final results were calculated
and expressed in ppm.
Total phenolic contents (TPC) and total flavonoid con­
tents (TFC) were estimated as described by (Manzoor et al.,
2021). The tomato juice extract was used to determine TPC
and TFC. For TPC, 1 ml of sample extract was mixed with 10
mL of deionized water and 1 mL of Folin-Ciocalteu phenol
reagent. Afterwards, 10 mL of sodium carbonate (7%) was
mixed and raised. The final volume of the mixture was up to
25 mL by adding deionized water. Finally, the mixture was
358 N. FIRDOUS ET AL.
run at 750 nm wavelength using a spectrophotometer (UV-
1800, Shimadzu, Ltd., Japan) after incubation for 90 min at
room temperature. The TPC was expressed in mg GAE/g FW.
For TFC, 1 ml of sample extract was homogenized with
0.3 mL aluminum chloride (10%), 0.3 mL sodium nitrite (3%),
and 4 mL deionized water. After it, the mixed solution was
thoroughly agitated with 2 mL of 1 M NaOH for 5 min, and
then the final volume was raised to 10 mL by adding deio­
nized water. Finally, the mixture was run at 510 nm on
a spectrophotometer (UV-1800, Shimadzu, Ltd., Japan).
Final results were expressed in mg QE/g FW.
Total carotenoid contents were determined spectropho­
tometrically by Sahabi et al. (2012). Briefly, 15 g of tomato
flesh was mixed with 3 g of celite 454 using a mortar and
pestle. To extract carotenoids, 25 mL of acetone was added
to the sample mixture to make the paste and then subjected
to a filtration process under a vacuum to obtain the colorless
extract. Afterward, the extract was mixed with 40 mL of
petroleum ether in a 500 mL separatory funnel. The aqueous
phase of the sample mixture was removed, followed by
acetone removal by adding ultrapure water to prevent emul­
sion development. This process was repeated 3 to 4 times
until evaporation of the complete solvent was assured.
Afterwards, the extract was mixed with 15 g of anhydrous
Na2SO4, and the total volume was raised to 50 mL by adding
petroleum ether. Finally, the sample mixture was run at 450
nm wavelength using a spectrophotometer (UV-1800,
Shimadzu, Ltd., Japan). Final results were calculated and
expressed in mg/100 g FW.
2.6. Microbiological analysis
The total microbial count (TMC) of all samples was deter­
mined according to the method described by Ribeiro et al.
(2007). Tomato samples diluted with a standard saline solu­
tion were spread on nutrient agar plates that were incu­
bated for 48 h at 37 ̊ C. The average numbers of colonies
were counted with the help of the colony counter. The
formula used was:
Viable bacterial count
Average number of colonies � dilution factor
¼
Volume plated
The E-coli was tested by the method described by
Cappuccino and Sherman (2005). The samples were
diluted using saline solution and then applied on
a MacConkey agar plate. Incubation was carried out at
37°C for 24 h. The appearance of red-colored colonies on
the MacConkey plate showed the presence of coliforms.
Detection of Botrytis cinerea was conducted according to
a method described by Cristescu et al. (2002). The infected
fungal tissues were cut down with flame sterilized forceps
into 2 to 5 mm pieces. Infected tissues were transferred to
sterile Petri dishes containing mercuric chloride solution
(0.1%) used for surface sterilization of plant tissues for 30
to 60 s. The sterilized pieces (3 to 5) were aseptically
transferred to petri dishes containing potato dextrose
agar (PDA) supplemented and incubated at ambient tem­
peratures (25–27°C) for pathogen development. The myce­
lium growth in the medium was marked by a glass
marking pencil and observed visually under the micro­
scope (Bio-Rad MRC 1024 confocal laser microscope).
2.7. Statistical analysis
Statistical analysis was conducted by analysis of variance
(ANOVA) to denote the significant difference, where HSD
Tukey’s test was applied to show the pair-wise comparison
among the treatments at each storage time or within treatment
with correspondence of storage duration using SPSS 23.0 soft­
ware (IBM SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Differences at p ≤ 0.05
were considered significant. All data were presented as means ±
SD. Figures were generated using Microsoft Excel 2010.
3. Results
3.1. Coating solution analysis
3.1.1. Homogeneity
Data showed the homogeneity of coatings solutions con­
taining 60% and 80% AVG in a stable range over tomato
surfaces than that of formulations containing 0%, 20%, and
40% AVG, as shown in Table 2.
3.2. Chemical analysis of tomatoes
Ascorbic acid contents increased during the first 20 d in all
treated tomatoes and then decreased eventually in 20% and
40% AVG-coated tomatoes. Meanwhile, ascorbic acid contents
remained stable in tomatoes treated with 60% and 80% AVG
coatings at 30 d of storage as well, as shown in Figure 1. Total
sugar and reducing sugar contents increased significantly in
tomatoes treated with a coating solution containing lower
concentrations (0%, 20%, and 60% in total sugars; and 0%
and 20% in reducing sugars) of AVG, as shown in Figures 2
and 3. Pectin contents decreased gradually from 0 d to 30 d in
all treated tomatoes. Meanwhile, the declining trend remained
lower in all tomatoes treated with higher concentrated AVG
coatings. In contrast, tomatoes treated with 0% AVG coating
showed a drastic decrease in pectin throughout the storage
time, as shown in Figure 4.
3.3. Total antioxidant efficiency, total phenols,
flavonoids, carotenoids, and lycopene contents
Total antioxidant efficiency increased sharply in all treated
tomatoes from 0 d to 10 d, and a drastic decrease was
observed. In comparison, maximum total antioxidant effi­
ciency was observed in the tomatoes treated with 0% and
20% AVG coatings during the first 10 d. Meanwhile, higher
total antioxidant efficiency was retained in tomatoes treated
with 40%, 60% and 80% AVG coatings at 30 d of storage, as
shown in Figure 5a. Total phenolic contents increased from 0
d to 10 d in all treated tomatoes and then remained stable
Table 2. Homogeneity values for edible coating of various AVG concentra­
tions stored at 10°C for up to 30 days.
Tabla 2. Valores de homogeneidad para el recubrimiento comestible de
varias concentraciones de AVG almacenado a 10°C durante un máximo de
30 días.
O.D 620 nm at 48 h
Coating solutions Upper Lower Stability
A0 2.81 ± 0.06 0.87 ± 0.06 Unstable
A20 2.79 ± 0.01 0.92 ± 0.06 Unstable
A40 2.66 ± 0.02 0.99 ± 0.01 Unstable
A60 0.62 ± 0.01 0.58 ± 0.01 Stable
A80 0.60 ± 0.05 0.57 ± 0.04 Stable
 CYTA - JOURNAL OF FOOD 359

Figure 1. Ascorbic acid contents (mg/g FW) of tomatoes treated with an edible coating of various AVG concentrations stored at 10°C for up to 30 days. Vertical
bars represented the standard deviation (SD). Different capital letters (A, B, C etc) indicate significant differences on the same day among the treatments at p ≤
0.05. Different lower-case letters (a, b, c etc) indicate a significant difference at p ≤ 0.05 within the treatment concerning the storage days (d).
Figura 1. Contenido de ácido ascórbico (mg/g FW) de tomates tratados con un recubrimiento comestible de varias concentraciones de AVG almacenados
a 10°C durante un máximo de 30 días. Las barras verticales representan la desviación estándar (SD). Las letras mayúsculas distintas (A, B, C, etc.) indican
diferencias significativas (p ≤ 0.05) entre los tratamientos realizados el mismo día. Las letras minúsculas distintas (a, b, c, etc.) indican una diferencia significativa
(p ≤ 0.05) en el tratamiento en lo que respecta a los días de almacenamiento (d).

Figure 2. Total sugar contents (mg/g FW) of tomatoes treated with an edible coating of various AVG concentrations stored at 10°C for up to 30 days. Vertical
bars represented the standard deviation (SD). Different capital letters (A, B, C etc) indicate significant differences on the same day among the treatments at p ≤
0.05. Different lower-case letters (a, b, c etc) indicate a significant difference at p ≤ 0.05 within the treatment concerning the storage days (d).
Figura 2. Contenido total de azúcares (mg/g FW) de tomates tratados con un recubrimiento comestible de diversas concentraciones de AVG almacenados
a 10°C durante un máximo de 30 días. Las barras verticales representan la desviación estándar (SD). Las letras mayúsculas distintas (A, B, C, etc.) indican
diferencias significativas (p ≤ 0.05) entre los tratamientos realizados el mismo día. Las letras minúsculas distintas (a, b, c, etc) indican una diferencia significativa
(p ≤ 0.05) en el tratamiento en lo que respecta a los días de almacenamiento (d).

until 20 d (in 0% and 80% AVG treatments) and 30 d (in 20%
and 60% AVG treatments), followed by a decrease at 20 d in
40% AVG treated tomatoes, and at 30 d in 0% and 80%, AVG
treated tomatoes as showed in Figure 5b. Total flavonoid
contents increased initially from 0 d to 20 d in all treatments,
followed by a decrease at 30 d of storage. Meanwhile, 60%
and 80% AVG treatment showed higher total flavonoid con­
tents at 30 d compared with 0%, 20%, and 40% AVG treat­
ments, as shown in Figure 5c. Total carotenoid contents
increased sharply from 0 d to 10 d, followed by
a continuous decrease until 30 d in all AVG-treated toma­
toes, as shown in Figure 5d. Total lycopene contents
increased sharply from 0 d to 10 d, followed by
a continuous decrease until 30 d in 20%, 40%, and 60% AVG-
treated tomatoes. However, 0% and 80% of AVG-treated
tomatoes retained the lycopene contents stable more than
20%, 40%, and 60% of AVG-treated tomatoes at 30 d after
a drastic decline at 20 d of storage, as shown in Figure 5e.
3.4. Microbiological analysis
Total viable microbial plate counts increased slowly until 20
d of storage in all treated tomatoes. Afterwards, a sharp
increase at 30 d was observed in tomatoes treated with
360 N. FIRDOUS ET AL.

Figure 3. Reducing sugar contents (mg/g FW) of tomatoes treated with an edible coating of various AVG concentrations stored at 10°C for up to 30 days.
Vertical bars represented the standard deviation (SD). Different capital letters (A, B, C etc) indicate significant differences on the same day among the treatments
at p ≤ 0.05. Different lower-case letters (a, b, c etc) indicate a significant difference at p ≤ 0.05 within the treatment concerning the storage days (d).
Figura 3. Contenido de azúcares reductores (mg/g FW) en tomates tratados con un recubrimiento comestible de diversas concentraciones de AVG almacenados
a 10°C durante un máximo de 30 días. Las barras verticales representan la desviación estándar (SD). Las letras mayúsculas distintas (A, B, C, etc.) indican
diferencias significativas (p ≤ 0.05) entre los tratamientos realizados el mismo día. Las letras minúsculas distintas (a, b, c, etc) indican una diferencia significativa
(p ≤ 0.05) en el tratamiento en lo que respecta a los días de almacenamiento (d).

Figure 4. Pectin contents (mg/g FW) of tomatoes treated with an edible coating of various AVG concentrations stored at 10°C for up to 30 days. Vertical bars
represented the standard deviation (SD). Different capital letters (A, B, C etc) indicate significant differences on the same day among the treatments at p ≤ 0.05.
Different lower-case letters (a, b, c etc) indicate a significant difference at p ≤ 0.05 within the treatment concerning the storage days (d).
Figura 4. Contenido de pectina (mg/g FW) de tomates tratados con un recubrimiento comestible de diversas concentraciones de AVG almacenados a 10°C
durante un máximo de 30 días. Las barras verticales representan la desviación estándar (SD). Las letras mayúsculas distintas (A, B, C, etc.) indican diferencias
significativas (p ≤ 0.05) entre los tratamientos realizados el mismo día. Las letras minúsculas distintas (a, b, c, etc) indican una diferencia significativa (p ≤ 0.05)
en el tratamiento en lo que respecta a los días de almacenamiento (d).

0%, 20%, 40%, and 60% AVG coating solutions except for
80% AVG-coated tomatoes, as shown in Figure 6.
All the treated tomatoes showed the absence of E. coli
throughout the storage time. The colonies of Botrytis cinerea
were allowed to grow on Petri plates to measure the radial
diameter in all treated tomatoes. No fungal growth was
detected until 10 d in tomatoes coated with 0% and 20%
AVG solution until 20 d in 40% AVG solution, and until 30
d in 60% and 80% AVG solution, as shown in Table 3.
4. Discussion
Stable solutions are characterized by non-significant differ­
ences between optical density readings between upper and
lower layers of solutions after 48 h of stay time. In this study,
coating solutions containing lower AVG showed unstable
homogeneity due to the more significant part of added
water and less AVG. However, higher concentrations of
AVG might be responsible for the uniform distribution of
 CYTA - JOURNAL OF FOOD 361

Figure 5. Total antioxidant efficiency (mM FRAP/g FW), total phenolic contents (mg GAE/g FW), total flavonoid contents (mg QE/100 g FW), total carotenoid
contents (mg/100 g FW), and lycopene (ppm) of tomatoes treated with an edible coating of various AVG concentrations stored at 10°C for up to 30 days.
Vertical bars represented the standard deviation (SD). Different capital letters (A, B, C etc) indicate significant differences on the same day among the treatments
at p ≤ 0.05. Different lower-case letters (a, b, c etc) indicate a significant difference at p ≤ 0.05 within the treatment concerning the storage days (d).
Figura 5. Eficiencia antioxidante total (mM FRAP/g FW), contenido fenólico total (mg GAE/g FW), contenido flavonoide total (mg QE/100 g FW), contenido
carotenoide total (mg/100 g FW) y licopeno (ppm) de tomates tratados con un recubrimiento comestible de diversas concentraciones de AVG almacenados
a 10°C durante un máximo de 30 días. Las barras verticales representan la desviación estándar (SD). Las letras mayúsculas distintas (A, B, C, etc.) indican
diferencias significativas (p ≤ 0.05) entre los tratamientos realizados el mismo día. Las letras minúsculas distintas (a, b, c, etc.) indican una diferencia significativa
en el tratamiento (p ≤ 0.05) en lo que respecta a los días de almacenamiento (d).

coating solutions over tomato surfaces. In agreement,
Mehyar et al. (2012) reported that a higher concentration
of coatings material is responsible for an adequate homo­
geneity of coatings solutions used on walnuts and pine nuts.
The initial increase in ascorbic was presumably due to the
ripening process that continues even after harvest (Ali et al.,
2021). The steady increase of ascorbic acid contents in
tomatoes treated with 60% and 80% AVG, e.g. compared
to 0–40% AVG coatings, could be due to the uniform dis­
tribution of coating solution over fruit surfaces. Moreover,
higher concentrated AVG coating solution may result in
thick coating layers that could tend to inhibit/reduce respira­
tion rate and biochemical conversions, thus slowing ripening
and extending the shelf life of tomatoes. Our findings agree
with , who concluded that a higher concentration of AVG
resulted in reduced biosynthesis and delayed degradation of
ascorbic acid in tomatoes.
The contents of total and reducing sugars are essential
parameters for identifying the fruit maturity and ripening
stage. The increase in sugar contents in lower AVG
concentrated coatings might be associated with increased
sugar metabolism-related enzymes such as sucrose
synthase/invertase (Khatri et al., 2020). In contrast, the non-
significant changes in tomatoes treated with higher AVG
concentrated coatings sugar contents could be due to
reduced respiration rate and biochemical conversions. By
our findings, Anjum et al. (2020) also stated that coating
treatments may delay the ripening and subsequent senes­
cence along with lower sugar contents due to slowed con­
version of starch.
It has been reported that pectin is an essential fruit cell
wall component involved in maintaining the fruit texture
integrity and strength (Wang et al., 2018). However, pectin
degradation tends to initiate the fruit softening disorder
associated with the activities of pectin degradation-related
enzymes such as pectate lyase (PL), pectin methylesterase
(PME), and ß-galactosidase (ß-Gal) (Amnuaysin et al., 2012).
In the present study, coating solutions containing 20%, 40%,
60%, and 80% AVG might inhibit/decrease the PL, PME and
ß-Gal enzyme activities in tomatoes, thus resulting in higher
362 N. FIRDOUS ET AL.

Figure 6. Total microbial count (Log10 CFU/mL) of tomatoes treated with an edible coating of various Aloe vera gel contents stored at 10°C for up to 30 days.
Vertical bars represented the standard deviation (SD). Different capital letters (A, B, C etc) indicate significant differences on the same day among the treatments
at p ≤ 0.05. Different lower-case letters (a, b, c etc) indicate a significant difference at p ≤ 0.05 within the treatment concerning the storage days (d).
Figura 6. Recuento microbiano total (Log10 UFC/mL) de tomates tratados con un recubrimiento comestible de diversos contenidos de gel de Aloe vera
almacenados a 10°C durante un máximo de 30 días. Las barras verticales representan la desviación estándar (SD). Las letras mayúsculas distintas (A, B, C, etc.)
indican diferencias significativas (p ≤ 0.05) entre los tratamientos realizados el mismo día. Las letras minúsculas distintas (a, b, c etc.) indican una diferencia
significativa (p ≤ 0.05) en el tratamiento en lo que respecta a los días de almacenamiento (d).

Table 3. Radial diameter of colonies (mm) of Botrytis cinerea in

tomatoes treated with edible coating of various Aloe vera gel
contents stored at 10°C for up to 30 days.
Tabla 3. Diámetro radial de colonias (mm) de Botrytis cinerea en
tomates tratados con recubrimiento comestible de diversos conte­
nidos de gel de Aloe vera almacenados a 10°C durante un máximo
de 30 días.
Storage days
Treatments 0 10 20 30
A0 0 0 55 80
A20 0 0 30 48
A40 0 0 0 22
A60 0 0 0 0
A80 0 0 0 0

pectin contents to avoid the occurrence of fruit softening. In
agreement, Benítez et al. (2013) also reported the higher
retention of pectin contents under the effect of AVG coating
application on fresh-cut kiwifruit.
Higher total antioxidant efficiency is correlated with reduced
disease occurrence in various horticultural crops (Khaliq et al.,
2019; Manzoor et al., 2019, 2021). Our findings indicate that
coating solutions containing a higher concentration of AVG are
more effective against disease inhibition/development during
the longer storage time for tomatoes. Such findings may con­
tribute to fewer disease attacks and extended shelf life of
tomatoes after harvest. A similar finding was reported by
Khaliq et al. (2019) concluded that AVG coatings could increase
the disease’s resistance by enhancing the antioxidant efficiency
in banana fruit. The increase in total antioxidant efficiency in
tomatoes is mainly associated with the higher concentration of
total phenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, and lycopene contents
(Fattore et al., 2016; Manzoor et al., 2020; Mirdehghan & Valero,
2017; Young & Lowe, 2018). Presently, findings about higher
total antioxidant efficiency in tomatoes are highly correlated
with the total flavonoids and lycopene contents (at 30 d in 60%
and 80% AVG coatings), as shown in Figure 5c,e. Meanwhile,
total phenols and carotenoid contents do not support this
correlation in the current study except at 30 d in 40% AVG
coating treatment about carotenoid contents (see Figure 5b,d).
The higher concentration of AVG in the coating solution has
been shown to reduce the total viable microbial count greatly.
Previously, Martínez-Romero et al. (2006) reported AVG extract’s
antimicrobial properties against various kinds of yeast, mould,
and bacterial growth. The present study also represented that
AVG coatings could reduce the total microbial growth, thus
improving the tomato’s quality. The microbial inhibition might
be associated with the antibiotic effects of functional com­
pounds present in AVG, such as anthraquinones, saponins, and
acemannan (Santoso & Rahmat, 2012).
Coating solutions containing a lower concentration of AVG
(0%, 20%, and 40%) significantly showed fungal growth during
the later storage period in tomatoes. Meanwhile, a complete
absence of fungal growth was detected in tomatoes only treated
with 60% and 80% AVG solution, thus keeping the fruit safe from
decay. The effect of a higher concentration of AVG coatings
might be associated with its more prominent antimicrobial and
antibiotic action against various plant pathogenic fungi
(Chauhan et al., 2011; Saks & Barkai-Golan, 1995). Overall,
a visual representation of all treated tomatoes during 30 d of
storage is shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7. Overall visual representation of tomatoes treated with an edible coating of various AVG concentrations stored at 10°C for up to 30 days.
Figura 7. Representación visual general de tomates tratados con un recubrimiento comestible de varias concentraciones de AVG almacenados a 10°C durante
un máximo de 30 días.
5. Conclusion
The AVG-based coatings containing 60–80% gel were
observed to be more effective in keeping the postharvest
quality of tomatoes. The effectiveness of 60–80% gel coat­
ings might correlate with the higher retention of ascorbic
acid, total sugars, pectin, and antioxidant efficiency (asso­
ciated with total phenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, and lyco­
pene contents) during the ripening of treated tomatoes.
Additionally, 60–80% AVG coatings reduced total microbial
count, absence of coliforms, and no sign of fungal growth in
treated tomatoes, thus decreasing the susceptibility of fruit
decay and enhancing the microbial safety over the 30 d of
storage period. In short, 60–80% AVG edible coatings might
be recommended to maintain the postharvest quality of
tomato fruit.
Acknowledgement
Higher Education Commission, Pakistan, funded the current work under
the International Research Support Initiative Program (IRSIP) slot. The
authors acknowledged the guidance and research facilities provided by
Prof. Chen, Department of Horticultural Science, College of Food,
Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Minnesota, United
States. The authors also want to acknowledge the support of
Guangdong Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Agricultural Research and Technology Promotion Demonstration
(Project ID:2022KJ144).
CYTA - JOURNAL OF FOOD 363
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Data availability
The corresponding author’s data supporting this study’s findings are
available upon reasonable request.
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