Vol. 9, Special Issue 8, Part P (2025)

The present investigation was conducted to evaluate the “Post-Harvest Application of Coating Materials on Physio-Chemical Properties and Shelf Life of Papaya (Carica papaya L.) cv. Red lady”. The experiment comprised 10 treatments: T₀ (Control), T₁ (Coconut oil), T₂ (Calcium chloride 2%), T₃ (Calcium chloride 4%), T₄ (Honey 10%), T₅ (Honey 20%), T₆ (Sodium chlorite 0.2%), T₇ (Sodium chlorite 0.4%), T₈ (Aloe vera gel 30%) and T₉ (Aloe vera gel 60%). Physical parameters such as fruit weight, length, diameter, physiological loss in weight (PLW) and retention of marketable fruits were recorded along with quality parameters like total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity, total sugar, reducing sugar and non-reducing sugar. Sensory attributes including colour and appearance, texture, taste, flavour and overall acceptability were also evaluated. Results indicated that Aloe vera gel 60% (T₉) exhibited the lowest PLW maximum retention of marketable fruits, highest sensory scores and extended shelf life followed by Calcium chloride 4% (T₃). The untreated control fruits (T₀) showed rapid deterioration and the shortest storage life. The study demonstrates that edible coatings, particularly Aloe vera gel at 60% can effectively maintain the quality and extend the shelf life of papaya fruits under ambient storage conditions.