Application of biodegradable Aloe vera gel and Linseed mucilage for extending the shelf life of plums

The current study aimed to find the effect of Aloe vera gel-linseed mucilage powder (AG-LMP) based coating treatments on some qualitative characteristics of plum fruits (Prunus domestica L.) during shelf-life period at (0±2)°C and (90–95%) RH for six weeks. In this sense, Aloe vera gel (1: 1) with three concentrations of linseed mucilage powder (0.8, 0.5, 0.05% w/v), Aloe vera gel (1: 1) alone, and linseed mucilage alone (0.5%) were applied to plum fruits in a completely randomized design. Respiration rate, weight loss, soluble solids content, titratable acidity, pH, firmness, and chroma index were measured. The results showed that except firmness and soluble solids content, other quality parameters were affected by (AG-LMP) based coatings. In general, plum coated with Aloe vera gel (1: 1) alone or with (0.05%) of linseed mucilage powder had the best results in terms of all measured parameters and could be suggested as an edible coating for preserving plums quality during the period of cold storage.