Strawberry ( Fragaria x ananassa Duch) fruit is known as a non-climacteric, highly perishable with very short postharvest shelflife. Strawberry fruit is rich in vitamin C and minerals and very susceptible to physical and physiological injuries. نوشتار اصلی توت فرنگی Fragaria ananassa میوه ای مطلوب و سرشار از ویتامین ها و مواد معدنی است در ارائه یک ترجمه بهتر همکاری کنید Top of Form Almost 40 percent of strawberry fruits after harvest will experience physiological deteriration. Extending postharvest life of strawberry fruit and maintaining its quality is of particular importance to both strawberry pruducers and markets. Postharvest life of strawberries can be extended by several techniques such as synthetic and natural edible coatings combined with refrigeration which have long been known to protect strawberry fruits from deterioration through reducing fruit respiration, delay i fruit ripening, dehydration, and the loss of fruit volatile compounds during storage life. In this study, the effect of natural edible coatings including cactus mucilage, Aloe vera gel and whey on shelf life and quality of strawberry fruits cultivar Silva at 6 ± 0.5 ° C were examined and some morphological, physiochemical characteristics, color, flavor and growth of microorganisms during storage time were measured. In this regard, a factorial experiment in a completely randomized design with three replications was performed. The results indicated that cactus mucilage and whey traetments in maintaining the content of vitamin C, total organic acids, acidity of fruit extract and firmness of strawberry fruits were singificant and the cactus mucilage and Aloe vera gel were effective in preventing fruit weight loss and reduction of microorganism growth. The cactus mucilage treatment had significant effect on the soluble solid, anthocyanins and antioxidants contents of the strawberry fruits as well. all edible coatings used in the experiment showed remarkable effects on the flavor and color of fruits during the storage time. In general, the results of this experiment emphasized the roll and application of natural edible coatings in enhancement of postharvest life of strawberry fruit. Keywords : Strawberry, Edible coatings, Cactus mucilage( Opuntia ficus indica) , Aloe vera gel, Whey protein.
