The Potential of Aloevera Gel and Cinnamon Oil Coating for Improving the Shelf Life of Pomegranate Arils

Abstract

Ongoing global drive for a healthier diet has led to a rise in demand for convenient and fresh food produce, with high nutritional value and free of additives. Shelf life of pomegranate is lessened beneath 4°C or above 10°C temperatures because of increased parching and rate of rot resulting changes in physiochemical attributes and physiological disorders. Use of edible coating involving aloevera gel and an essential oil in the arils of Pomegranate reduces the respiration rate and exposure to microbial growth due to their ant oxidative and antimicrobial activities. In present study, the coated 0.25% cinnamon oil and 20% aloevera gel pomegranate arils were being packed in different Polymers under cold storage temperature (5oC) and assessed for physiochemical attributes such as physiological loss in weight (PLW), pH, acidity, TSS, hue angle and chroma, enzymatic activity which include L - phenylalanine ammonia lyase assay (PLA), Polyphenol Oxidase (PPO), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), microbial load and organoleptic attributes to assess the effect of coating in enhancing its shelf life. This study also shows the best combination of edible gel-oil coating and packaging material that would be more suitable for prolonging the shelf life of pomegranate arils. Among the three packaging materials used, LDPE 50, HDPE 30 and HDPE 50, the coated pomegranate when stored in HDPE 30 has shown to be the most desirable results.