The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of chitosan-based edible coatings with Aloe vera
extract on the postharvest blueberry fruit quality during storage at 5 C. Firstly, A. vera fractions (pulp and
liquid) were extracted from leaves and evaluated in terms of antifungal and antioxidant capacities. The
choice of the most adequate chitosan and A. vera fraction concentrations to be incorporated in coating
formulation was made based on the wettability of the corresponding coating solutions. Coatings with
0.5% (w/v) chitosan + 0.5% (w/v) glycerol + 0.1% (w/v) Tween 80 + 0.5% (v/v) A. vera liquid fraction
presented the best characteristics to uniformly coat blueberry surface. Physico-chemical (i.e., titratable
acidity, pH, weight loss) and microbiological analyses of coated blueberries (non-inoculated or artificially
inoculated with Botrytis cinerea) were performed during 25 d. Microbiological growth and water loss
levels were approximately reduced by 50% and 42%, respectively, in coated blueberries after 25 d
compared to uncoated blueberries. After 15 d, weight loss values were 6.2% and 3.7% for uncoated and
chitosan–A. vera coated blueberries, respectively. Uncoated fruits presented mold contamination after 2 d
of storage (2.0 0.32 log CFU g1
), whilst fruits with chitosan-based coatings with A. vera presented mold
contamination only after 9 d of storage (1.3 0.35 log CFU g1
). Overall, coatings developed in this study
extend blueberries’ shelf-life for about 5 d, demonstrating for the first time that the combination of
chitosan and A. vera liquid fraction as edible coating materials has great potential in expanding the shelflife
of fruits.