Preservation of strawberry fruit with an Aloe vera gel and basil (Ocimum basilicum) essential oil coating at ambient temperature

Strawberry deterioration accelerates after harvesting when the fruit are exposed at ambient temperature. Therefore, it is imperative to utilize efficient methods to mitigate the deterioration of fruit at ambient temperature. In the current study, harvested strawberries were coated with Aloe vera gel either alone or mixed with essential oil from basil plant. Coated strawberries were stored at ambient temperature (20°C) for 7 days and successfully retained their postharvest quality during storage. Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the fracture morphology of coated and uncoated fruits. Application of coatings, specially the combination of Aloe vera with basil oil, reduced weight loss, respiration rate, degradation of vitamin C, and color change. Additionally, fungal growth was intensively prevented at room temperature. Finally, sensory analyses revealed positive results for the coatings on visual aspect. The results demonstrated that application of Aloe vera–basil oil complex coating is an effective method to preserve the postharvest quality and extend shelf life of strawberry fruit at room temperature. Novelty impact statement: Combination of Aloe vera gel coating and basil oil preserved postharvest quality of strawberry fruit at ambient temperature. Aloe vera gel coating enriched with basil oil reduced fungal growth in in vitro and in vivo conditions at ambient temperature. Addition of basil oil to Aloe vera gel coating improved the efficacy of treatment at ambient temperature.