Abstract
ABSTRACTIn this study, antifungal activities of Thymus vulgaris L., Eugenia caryophyllata L., Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume and Carum copticum L. essential oils against Monilinia fructicola and Botrytis cinerea, two important postharvest pathogens of stone fruit, were investigated under in vivo studies. Results showed that the essential oil treatments, especially T. vulgaris and E. caryophyllata oils, had a good antifungal activity in reduction of both disease incidence and disease severity of brown and gray mold rots caused by M. fructicola and B. cinerea on apricots, respectively. Gas chromatography (GC) and GC/mass spectrometry analysis of tested essential oils showed that thymol (37.55%), eugenol (48.76%), cinnamaldehyde (90.33%) and thymol (50.88%) were the main components of T. vulgaris, E. caryophyllata, C. zeylanicum, C. copticum oils, respectively. Application of C. copticum and E. caryophyllata oils on apricot fruit showed a significant effect on fruit quality retention as evaluated with weight loss (%), fruit firmness, total soluble solids, titratable acidity and maturity index in sensory parameters. These results revealed that T. vulgaris and E. caryophyllata oils could be natural alternatives to fungicides in the control of M. fructicola and B. cinerea infections.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSBecause of problems related to synthetic fungicide application, calls for research into new potential safe strategies for control of postharvest decay in crops. Plant products, especially essential oils, are one of the most promising groups of natural compounds for development of indigenous nature, nonmammalian toxicity and antimicrobial agents and their employment for the control of different postharvest pathogens is also well documented. The results of in vivo (cold storage of fruits) experiments, in this study, showed that essential oil treatment had significant effects on fungal growth. The number of infected fruits and disease severity were reduced in oil‐treated fruit and with increase of essential oil concentration the fungal growth decreased. Therefore, these compounds could be an alternative to chemical fungicides for the control of postharvest fungal diseases on apricot fruits. In addition, the application of plant essential oils could be named as new safe method for control of agricultural products.
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