EFFECT OF SEASONAL VARIATION ON THE RECOVERY AND COMPOSITION OF ALOE VERA (ALOE BARBADENSIS) GEL.

Current experiment was conducted during 2017-18 at Biochemistry Section, Post Harvest Research Center, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad, Pakistan to evaluate the effect of seasonal variations on the recovery and chemical composition of aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) gel. Samples of aloe vera leaves were collected four times in a year, in the months of January, April, July and October of 2017 and 2018, and analyzed for various quality parameters. Results of two years studies were compiled and average values were calculated. Results indicated that seasonal variation had no significant effect on the recovery of gel and its chemical composition. There was no significant variation recorded in quality parameters throughout the year. On an average, gel recovery was 64.6 ± 3.05, 35.4 ± 3.07%. Average value for pH of gel was 4.62 ± 0.33, total soluble solids (TSS) 1.00 ± 0.25%, vitamin C 2.86 ± 0.79 mg/100g and antioxidant potential of aloe vera was 66.50± 1.25% and dry matter ranged from 2.48 to 2.75%. Crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, ash, Cu, Zn, Fe and Ca were determined in dried leaves and the mean value of these parameters were 14.6 ± 0.75 %., 0.45 ± 0.12 %, 0.14 ± 0.04 %, 0.15 ± 0.2 %,16.0 ± 2.73 mg/kg, 3.03 ± 0.8 mg/kg, 110.7±19.9 mg/kg and 247.1 ± 22.5 mg/kg, respectively. Nitrogen free extract (NFE) or available carbohydrate ranged from 84.48 ± 0.70 to 84.93 ± 0.82 % with an average value of 84.70 ± 0.80 %. It was concluded that seasonal variation had no significant effect on the aloe vera leaf biochemical components like TSS, crude protein, vitamin C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]