NATURAL PLANT EXTRACTS: A NOVEL THERAPY FOR SHELF LIFE EXTENSION AND QUALITY RETENTION OF FRUITS

Fruits provide adequate supplies of vitamins, minerals and fibers to human health. Fruits harvested for human consumption are susceptible for microbial spoilage. Post-harvest loss of fruits poses a serious issue across the globe. Therefore, there is an urgent need to have a natural preservative that will improve the shelf life and quality of fresh fruits. Hence the present investigation was aimed to evaluate the efficacy of natural plant extracts (edible coating solution) like Neem oil, Guar gum, Aloe vera gel and Marigold extract as potential fruit preservatives against 5 different types of fruits such as Apple, Banana, Chikoo, Papaya and Tomato. It was found that except Apple and Chikoo other selected fruits lost their weight even after treatment with the edible coating solution. The study revealed that two types of organisms were found on fruit surface such as Staphylococcus spp. and Pseudomonas spp. Skin colour analysis showed that Apple was found to be excellent in skin colour while Tomato was good, Papaya and Chikoo were slightly dull whereas banana was <50% brownish in colour. Pulp colour analysis showed that Apple and Tomato were 100% Good, Papaya 75% Good, Chikoo 50% Good while Banana 25% Good.