Abstract
Mango is a well-known tropical climacteric fruit that decays rapidly. Thus, a postharvest management strategy utilizing natural and biodegradable materials is necessary to minimize crop losses. The study evaluated the coating effects of A. vera gel with chitosan and coconut oil on postharvest features and mango shelf life throughout 15 days of storage at room temperature (25 ± 2 °C). Fruits were treated with the following six coatings: control (distilled water), 1.5% chitosan solution (CH) (w/v), Aloe vera gel (AV) (1 : 1, v/v), coconut oil (CO) (1 : 1, v/v), 1.5% chitosan solution + A. vera gel (CH + AV) (1 : 1, v/v), and coconut oil + A. vera gel (CO + AV) (1 : 1, v/v). The findings showed that the coating with A. vera gel and chitosan significantly decreased decay, weight loss, respiration rate, and ethylene production compared to control. This coating improved fruit quality indicators like acidity, total soluble solids, pH, fruit firmness, and ascorbic acid content. Additionally, the phenol content and antioxidant activity decreased slightly during storage, while the control fruits demonstrated a rapid decrease in phenol content and antioxidant activity. Coated fruits significantly reduced the activity of polyphenol oxidase, whereas control fruits had the lowest catalase and peroxidase activity throughout the storage period. Coated fruit skin showed higher L* and b* values than the control fruits throughout storage. These findings suggested that A. vera gel with chitosan coating might preserve bioactive components and postharvest ‘Haribhanga’ mango fruit quality under ambient storage.