Evaluation and Kinetics Modelling of Some Postharvest Characteristics Changes of Cherry Tomato Coated with Fresh Aloe vera Gel during Storage at Different Temperatures

Cherry tomato as a climacteric product has a short postharvest life and so it is necessary to use methods such as coating to increase its shelf life. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of fresh Aloe vera gel edible coating concentration (25, 50, 75 and 100% v/v) and storage temperature (5, 12 and 25 °C) on postharvest quality characteristics of cherry tomatoes such as weight loss, titratable acidity, total soluble solids and sensorial properties stored for 24 days and also to study the kinetics of their changes. During the storage period, the weight loss, total soluble solids of all samples increased and the titratable acidity decreased. The use of A. vera gel considerably controlled the quality characteristics changes while the increase in temperature intensified the changes in the studied characteristics. In addition, the use of A. vera gel and low storage temperature reduced the incidence of decay and increased the score of sensory properties. Kinetic studies showed that the changes in weight loss and total soluble solids followed the first-order model and the titratable acidity followed the fractional conversion model. The constant rate of postharvest characteristics changes under different conditions followed Arrhenius equation. Based on the findings of the current study, it seems that applying fresh A. vera gel with 75% concentration and storage temperature of 5 °C improves the postharvest qualitative and sensorial characteristics of cherry tomatoes during 24 days of storage.