Effect of aloe-vera coating on the quality of mechanically damaged zucchini during long-term storage

Zucchini is susceptible to mechanical damage, which can occur during postharvest operations and leads to produce quality reduction. Bruising is the most common type of mechanical damage that could result in economic losses due to its effect on the appearance and shelf life of produce. This study aims to examine the effect of bruising and coating on the quality parameters of zucchini. Zucchini was bruised through the drop impact test which produced mechanical damage with an impact energy of 0.353 J. Other zucchini samples were not bruised and set as control. Half of the samples were coated with aloe vera gel. The samples were kept at 5, 10, and 22 degrees C for 24 days. The effect of impact bruising, storage conditions, and coating on the bruising size and other quality attributes (weight, color, firmness, pH, and total soluble solids) was investigated. The results showed that bruising parameters were dependent on storage duration and coating. At all tested storage conditions, coating with aloe vera helped regulate the weight and yellowness changes in zucchini samples during the storage period. Storage at 10 degrees C showed the least reduction in weight on all treated and control samples compared to other storage conditions. The redness and greenness (a* value) color changes in all tested zucchini samples were steadily increasing at 22 degrees C. Coated, non -bruised zucchinis showed a gradual increment in total soluble solids and were highly maintained at 10 degrees C storage condition. A reduction in the firmness of zucchini was significantly observed due to storage duration. Meanwhile, pH increased but was not significantly affected by any of the tested factors. Moreover, this study indicated the importance of both aloe vera coating and storage management in preserving zucchini quality parameters and extending its shelf life. Hence, coating zucchini should be considered when attempting to increase its shelf life. Moreover, the findings of the study can provide baseline data to understand the mechanism of mechanical damage on the quality of zucchini.