Marzieh Babashpour-Asl - Department of Horticultural Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Maragheh Branch, Maragheh, Iran.

Using organic and inorganic substances is a healthy and affordable way to enhance fruit quality during storage. Apple is a popular fruit with high nutritional value and mainly experiences prolonged storage periods. The present study was conducted to optimize shelf-life of apple fruits (Malus domestica Borkh. ‘Golden Delicious’) by aloe vera gel and calcium chloride (CaCl۲) and to evaluate apple characteristics after ۹۰ days of cold storage. Using response surface methodology (RSM), measurements were aimed at fruit weight loss, pH, total soluble solids (TSS), total sugar (TS), fruit firmness, and juice content. As evidenced from RSM analysis, optimal conditions for apple shelf-life were achieved by ۵.۹% CaCl۲ and ۳۳.۶% aloe vera gel, which reduced weight loss and maintained fruit firmness, pH, total soluble solids, total sugars, and juice content. Aloe vera gel and CaCl۲ showed similar modes of action in each case of the measured traits, except for TSS where the aloe vera gel increased apple TSS but CaCl۲ decreased it. Therefore, an optimized combination of aloe vera gel and CaCl۲ offered a promising approach to the maintenance of apple quality in storage.

response surface methodology, Apple postharvest, fruit firmness, shelf-life, TSS