Abstract:
Mango (Mangifera indica L; Family Anacardaceae) is a popular and economically
important fruit crop in Sri Lanka.Fresh mangoes are wasted during handling,
transportation and storage due to its highly perishable nature. Therefore, it is essential
to develop a safe methodtoextend the shelf life of mangoes while preserving their
internal quality. Use of edible coatings is one such method of extending shelf life. Aloe
vera (Aloe/‘Komarika’; Family Liliaceae) is a widely used medicinal plant and its
fleshy leaf matrix (gel) has the potential to be used as edible coatings for fruits (Misir
et al., 2014). Nevertheless, only a few studies have been done on the use of A.vera gel
based coatings to increase the shelf life of fruits in Sri Lanka. Therefore, this study was
conducted to evaluate the potential of usingA. vera gel coating to extend the shelf life
of mangovar. Willard.
