Tangerine Fruit Research Articles

Exploration of antimicrobial activities and mechanisms of biocontrol agent Serratia nematodiphila BC-SKRU-1 against Penicillium digitatum in tangerine fruit

The isolate BC-SKRU-1, identified as Serratia nematodiphila from fungal culture contamination, was investigated for its biocontrol potential against Penicillium digitatum in vitro and on tangerine fruit, with a focus on its mechanisms of action. In vitro tests on PDA plates revealed BC-SKRU-1's broad-spectrum antifungal activity, achieving up to 74.68% inhibition against seven plant pathogenic fungi, including P. digitatum NKP4321. Bacterial culture filtrates from BC-SKRU-1 (BCF BC-SKRU-1) at 5–10% concentrations inhibited NKP4321 mycelial growth in PDB medium (78.41–83.68%) more effectively than in PDA medium (46.20–72.61%), with complete suppression at 15% (v/v) in both media. BCF BC-SKRU-1's efficacy was comparable to chemical fungicides such as propiconazole®, prochloraz®, and mancozeb®. Notably, BCF BC-SKRU-1 retained its antifungal activity after dilution (1/1000), autoclaving (at 121 °C), and storage (at −20 °C). In vivo evaluations on tangerine fruit showed significant reduction in the severity of postharvest green mold disease with BC-SKRU-1 treatments, especially at a concentration of 108 CFU mL−1. Both preventive and curative applications were effective, with curative treatments being more successful. Mechanistic studies indicated that BCF BC-SKRU-1 reduces intracellular ergosterol content, compromises plasma membrane integrity, and attenuates antioxidant defense activities (SOD, CAT, GSH, GSSG, and GSH/GSSG ratio). These findings highlight BC-SKRU-1 and its metabolites as promising biocontrol agents against green mold in tangerine fruits and provide insights into their antifungal mechanisms.

Tangerine fruit peel extract mediated biogenic synthesized silver nanoparticles and their potential antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic assessments

Abstract The utilization of plant bioactive composites has concerned substantial attention due to their possible use in the development of novel antibiotics, containing the environmentally sustainable synthesis of nanoparticles. In the current study, a green and eco-friendly process was employed to synthesize silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) and to evaluate their anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, and anti-cancer potentials. The characterization of the Ag-NPs involved UV-vis spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The UV-vis spectrum of Ag-NPs was 437 nm. The FTIR absorption peaks detected at 685.48 cm−1 confirmed their characteristics. The FESEM displayed that Ag-NPs have an average size of 30 nm. The TEM revealed that the Ag-NPs have an irregular spherical shape with 16 nm size distribution. The XRD results provided a strong indication that the green synthesized Ag-NPs was of high purity with crystalline nature. The anti-bacterial properties were investigated at different concentrations for both the ethanolic tangerine peel extract and Ag-NPs. The results of anti-bacterial activity showed that 100 µg·mL−1 was potent concentration, but the Ag-NPs were more effective than the ethanolic tangerine peel extract. For the ethanolic extract, the inhibition zone was 17.50 ± 0.20 mm for K. pneumoniae and 14.40 ± 0.20 mm for B. cereus. For the Ag-NPs, the inhibition zone was 25.50 mm for K. pneumoniae and 20.50 mm for B. cereus. Furthermore, the antioxidant examination revealed more potent free radical scavenging activity of the Ag-NPs than the ethanolic peel extract alone. The ethanolic extract ranged 46–77% while the Ag-NPs ranged 57–88%. Additionally, the anti-proliferative of the Ag-NPs against the lung cancer cell line (A549) was more potent than the ethanolic extract alone. The cytotoxic activity was 90.03% and 78.50%, respectively. The anti-proliferative effect of Ag-NPs is attributed to cell death, induced apoptosis, and enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species. Our findings highlight the potential and further utilization of Ag-NPs in medicinal applications particularly for cancer therapeutics.

Postharvest biocontrol ability and involved mechanism of volatile organic compounds from Serratia nematodiphila BC-SKRU-1 against Penicillium digitatum tangerine fruit

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by microorganisms offer a promising strategy for managing green mold disease in citrus fruits caused by Penicillium digitatum. This study evaluated the biocontrol efficacy of VOCs produced by Serratia nematodiphila BC-SKRU-1 (BC-SKRU-1 VOCs) against green mold in postharvest tangerine fruits, targeting P. digitatum NKP4321. Our findings demonstrated that BC-SKRU-1 VOCs exhibited a broad spectrum of activity against seven plant pathogens, with the highest efficacy observed against NKP4321 (68.21%). A concentration of 106 CFU mL−1 for VOC production by BC-SKRU-1 completely inhibited the mycelial growth of NKP4321, whereas a concentration of 107 CFU mL−1 was required to fully inhibit spore germination. The application of four plates of BC-SKRU-1 VOCs at 108 CFU mL−1 significantly reduced the severity of green mold disease, with optimal biocontrol achieved through continuous fumigation during storage. Notably, 2-nonanol, identified as the predominant component among the 20 VOCs using HS-SPME/GC-MS, exhibited superior antifungal activity both in vitro and in vivo. It effectively decreased ergosterol production and disrupted plasma membrane integrity in NKP4321 cells. Furthermore, 2-nonanol altered the cellular content of non-enzymatic antioxidants (e.g., GSH, GSSG) and enzymatic antioxidants (e.g., CAT, SOD), elucidating its comprehensive antifungal mechanism. These findings highlight the potential of BC-SKRU-1 VOCs, particularly 2-nonanol, as effective biocontrol agents for enhancing postharvest fruit preservation by combating fungal pathogens.

Effect of Pre-Harvest Calcium Treatment on Post-Harvest Fruit Quality of Nanfeng Tangerine

To investigate the effect of calcium (Ca) application on post-harvest fruit quality in Nanfeng tangerines, this study sprayed three calcium fertilizers (Calbit, Larry 8 Calcium, and Suspended Calcium) before harvesting. The fruit quality was assessed over a storage period of 0–60 d at a controlled room temperature of 20 ± 5 °C. The evaluation methods included principal component analysis (PCA) and linearly weighted summation. Pre-harvest calcium treatments increased the fruit calcium content and maintained higher firmness and shear. Compared to the control group, fruits treated with Calbit exhibited decreased levels of decay, weight loss, and respiration rates. Additionally, they demonstrated higher values of L*, b*, C*, and H° and lower values of a* and CCI. Moreover, the Larry 8 Calcium and Calbit treatments increased the levels of soluble solids, total soluble sugars, titratable acids, and VC content in the fruit. They accelerated the decomposition of tartaric, oxalic, and citric acids in the pulp, promoting the accumulation of sucrose and glucose. PCA and comprehensive evaluation scores indicated that the comprehensive scores assessing the storage quality of Nanfeng tangerine fruits treated with pre-harvest Larry 8 Calcium and Calbit were higher than those of the control group. The highest composite quality scores for Calbit-treated fruits were observed at 40 and 60 d, and the highest scores for Larry 8 Calcium were recorded at other intervals. These findings suggest that pre-harvest calcium application improved the post-harvest fruit quality of Nanfeng tangerines, with Larry 8 Calcium and Calbit emerging as favorable options.

Application of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose to improve the wettability of chitosan coating and its preservation performance on tangerine fruits

Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) was employed as an intermediate layer to enhance interfacial interaction between chitosan (CS) coating and tangerine fruits, thereby improving the preservation effect. Owing to the low surface tension of tangerine fruit (26.04 mN/m), CS coating solutions showed poor wetting properties on fruit peels (contact angle > 100°). However, by applying a 1.0 % (w/v) HPMC coating on fruits, the contact angle of CS solutions with concentrations of 0.5 %, 1.0 %, and 1.5 % (w/v) decreased to 47.0°, 47.4°, and 48.5°, respectively, whereas the spreading coefficient increased to −16.0 mN/m, −17.6 mN/m and −19.8 mN/m, respectively. Subsequently, the effects of the coatings on fruit quality were investigated. The results demonstrated the promising performance of HPMC-CS two-layer coating in inhibiting fruit respiration, reducing decay rate, and maintaining nutrient content. Notably, HPMC-1.5%CS coating not only reduced the decay rate of tangerine fruit by 45 % and 31 %, in comparison to the uncoated group (CK) and pure CS coating respectively, but also maintained a high content of ascorbic acid. Therefore, this study confirmed that the use of amphiphilic polymers for improving the surface properties of fruits can effectively facilitate the wetting of hydrophilic coatings on fruits, and significantly improve the fresh-keeping performance of edible coatings.

Óleos essenciais no manejo de Alternaria alternata f. sp. citri em frutos de tangerineira ‘Dancy’

ABSTRACT Tangerines and their hybrids are affected by economically essential diseases. The Alternaria brown spot (Alternaria alternata f. sp. citri) deserves to be highlighted, as it is present in all tangerine production areas. This study aimed to determine the effect of essential oils on A. alternata f. sp. citri. The experiments were carried out in the Laboratories of Phytopathology and Biology and Technology of Post-Harvest of the Federal University of Paraíba, Areia, PB. Three pathogen isolates were used, and ten essential oils from grape, sunflower, eucalyptus, ginger, copaiba, mint, fennel, citronella, clove, and linseed at a concentration of 1%, diluted in potato dextrose agar for in vitro tests. The oils were diluted in distilled water for the fruit test, and the fruits were immersed in the treatments for 5 min. In addition, the fungicide Thiabendazole (400 mL/100L) and sterile distilled water were used as the control treatments. The fruits were inoculated with a conidia suspension of the pathogen (105 conidia/mL). Mycelial Growth Rate Index, colony diameter, spore production and dimensions, fruit disease severity, and enzymatic activity were evaluated. A completely randomized design was used, with 12 treatments and four replications in vivo. The results indicate that the essential oils of mint, eucalyptus, fennel, and citronella were efficient in the in vitro control of the pathogen, ultimately inhibiting the growth of fungal colonies. Eucalyptus oil efficiently managed A. alternata f. sp. citri on ‘Dancy’ tangerine fruits. Essential oils did not influence the enzymatic activity of the fruits.

Seasonal Variations in Biochemical and Antioxidant Properties in ‘Daisy’ Tangerine Fruits During Fruit Development

Seasonal Variations in Biochemical and Antioxidant Properties in ‘Daisy’ Tangerine Fruits During Fruit Development

First Report of Postharvest Fruit Rot on Citrus reticulata Blanco Caused by Fusarium concentricum in China.

Nanfeng tangerine (Citrus reticulata Blanco) is highly regarded for its nutritional and economic value. In January 2022, an unknown fruit rot was observed on Nanfeng tangerine fruits harvested from Nanfeng County (27.22 °N, 116.53 °E), Fuzhou City, Jiangxi Province after 70 days in storage (25 °C, 90% relative humidity). The disease mostly started from the pedicel or a wound. Symptoms initiated with dark brown lesions that rapidly expanded between the fruit center and pulp capsule causing total fruit rot. The surface of symptomatic fruit was sterilized with 75% ethanol for 30 s and 2% NaClO for 30 s. Small diseased tissue pieces (2 mm2) between diseased and healthy tissues were placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and put in an incubator (25 ± 1 °C) for 3 days. The representative isolate NFMJ-1 was subcultured onto PDA using single-spore purification. Colonies on PDA were light yellow to white, with abundant flocculent aerial hyphae. Microconidia were oval, obovoid to allantoid, 0 septate, occasionally 1 septate, 4.07 to 17.53 × 1.69 to 3.56 μm (average=7.40 μm × 2.55 μm, n=50). Macroconidia were slender, with a beaked apical cell and a foot-shaped basal cell, 3 to 5 septate, 22.99 to 81.12 × 2.34 to 3.81 μm (average=45.04 μm × 3.12 μm, n=50). According to morphological characteristics, the isolate was tentatively identified as Fusarium sp. (Leslie and Summerell 2006). To confirm the identification, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF), RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2), beta-tubulin gene (TUB2), and calmodulin gene (CaM) sequences were amplified with primers ITS1/ITS4 (Gardes et al. 1993), TEF1/TEF2 (O'Donnell et al. 2010), RPB2-5f2/RPB2-7cr (Liu et al. 1999), Bt2a/Bt2b (Glass and Donaldson 1995), and CL1C/CL2C (Weir et al. 2012), respectively. The obtained sequences (ON184033, ON212051, ON212052, ON212053, ON212054) showed homology with F. concentricum ITS (MW016417.1; 514/514 bp), TEF (MK609902.1; 667/667 bp), RPB2 (LC631461.1; 941/972 bp), TUB2 (MT942588.1; 331/337 bp), and CaM (MK609916.1; 558/597 bp). A phylogenetic analysis of concatenated ITS-RPB2-TEF sequences was performed by MEGA7.0 with the maximum likelihood and Kimura 2-parameter model, revealing that the isolate was placed in the F. concentricum clade. To confirm pathogenicity, 36 healthy tangerine fruits were surface sterilized with 75% alcohol, then 18 disinfected fruits were wounded with sterile needles and 18 remained unwounded. Half of the wounded and un-wounded fruits were inoculated with 10 μL of a conidial suspension (1.0 × 106 conidia/ml) of isolate NFMJ-1 cultured for 7 days on PDA. Half of the wounded and un-wounded fruits were mock-inoculated with sterile water as controls. After incubation in an incubator (25 ± 1°C, 90% relative humidity) for 7 days, the wounded fruits inoculated with F. concentricum showed similar symptoms to the original diseased fruits, while the mock-inoculated fruits were asymptomatic. The pathogenicity test was repeated three times. The pathogen was re-isolated from the wound-inoculated fruits and identified as F. concentricum by morphological and molecular analysis, completing Koch's postulates. F. concentricum has been reported as a pathogen of Podocarpus macrophyllus (Dong et al. 2022), Capsicum annuum (Wang et al. 2013) and Zea mays (Du et al. 2020) in China. This is the first report of fruit rot caused by F. concentricum on Citrus reticulata in China. Appropriate prevention and control measure of the pathogen need to be developed to preserve marketability of this economically important citrus fruit.

Citrus is a Multivitamin Treasure Trove: A Review

Citrus is popularly known as the source of beneficial and essential nutrients for human health, including vitamins. The current review revealed the content of multivitamins, not only vitamin C but also vitamins A, B, and E that are not widely acknowledged within Citrus. Numerous Citrus genotypes contain vitamin C, with the grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) being the richest, and citron (C. medica) the poorest. Vitamin A in the form of β-carotene, α-carotene, and β-cryptoxanthin is commonly found within Citrus, especially in several colored flesh species such as grapefruit, mandarin (C. reticulate), and orange (C. sinensis). In terms of vitamin B, orange and grapefruit are proven to contain B-complex, including thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), biotin (B7), inositol (B8) and folate (B9). Vitamin E in the form of α-tocopherol was detected in leaf kaffir lime (C. hystrix) and orange (C. sinensis), lemon (C. limon), mandarin (C. reticulate), and tangerine (C. nobilis) fruit. This review summarizes the nutritional content of Citrus; Citrus contains not only vitamin C but also other vitamins beneficial to human health, therefore Citrus consumption is highly recommended.

Increased Attravtiveness and Shelf Life of Siamese Tangerines (Citrus Nobilis L.) Using Various Palmitic, Stearic, and Oleic Acid Emulsions and Mixtures

Food demand is increasing in tandem with population growth. The Siamese tangerine fruit is one example of a highly sought-after fruit. Siamese tangerines, whether fresh or processed, can quickly ruined if not handled carefully. The purpose of this research is to boost the attractiveness and shelf life of various types of emulsions. Palmitic, stearic, and oleic acid emulsions, as well as their combinations, are employed. Organoleptic test analysis, vitamin C content, water content, and component identification by Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry were performed on Siamese tangerine fruit (GC-MS). Evaluation of organoleptic analysis tests is carried out by hedonic tests (color, aroma, texture, overall taste and acceptance), and scoring tests (color and texture). The application of mixed emulsions (palmitic, stearic and oleic acids) will increase the attractiveness and shelf life of Siamese tangerine fruits. The results of measuring vitamin C levels and water content have an influence on various types of emulsions. Citrus fruits treated with mixed emulsions (palmitic, stearic and oleic acids) experienced the lowest quality decline in vitamin C levels of 14.4851 mg / 100g and water content of 91.8401%. Overall the content of essential compounds in the peel of Siamese tangerines contains essential compounds dl- Limonene with an abundance of different areas in each emulsion treatment.

Effect of ripening on biochemical characteristics of tangerine tomatoes (<I>Solanum lycopersicum</I> L.)

Relevance. When creating tomato varieties and hybrids, much attention is paid not only to the commercial component (yield, appearance and uniform ripening), but also to the taste qualities of the products. Salad tomato varieties with yellow, tangerine, and pink fruits are increasingly in demand. As a rule, these fruits do not store for a long time, so it is necessary to increase their storability and transportability. Fruits of this group of tomatoes have high antioxidant activity, which is due not only to the significant content of water-soluble antioxidants (such as ascorbic acid), but also carotenoids. The preservation of fruit largely depends on the dry matter content.The aim of investigation is to study biochemical parameters of tangerine tomatoes fruits under different ripening conditions.Materials and methods. Plants were grown in the greenhouse of Federal Scientific Vegetable Center. Biochemical characteristics of tomato fruits were studied during harvesting and after laying for storage in the milky ripeness phase according to the following indicators: dry matter, ascorbic acid, total content of water-soluble antioxidants, titratable acidity, monosaccharides, polyphenols and carotenoids.Results. The percentage of dry matter in tangerine tomato fruits does not change during storage, even increases slightly. The dry matter content of fruits from the open field is slightly higher than that of fruits from the greenhouse. The content of sugars and ascorbic acid in fruits with tangerine fruits after laying for ripening decreases slightly. However, the content of these compounds is higher in mature fruits immediately after picking than in fruits after ripening. The total content of antioxidants during ripening decreases, though not significantly (in 1.1-1.7 times).

Agrobiological approaches to the development of tangerine fruit market in the Republic of Abkhazia

Agrobiological approaches to the development of tangerine fruit market in the Republic of Abkhazia

Influence of γ-Radiation and Chitosan Coating on Postharvest Quality of ‘Dancy’ Tangerine Fruit

Influence of γ-Radiation and Chitosan Coating on Postharvest Quality of ‘Dancy’ Tangerine Fruit

Foliar top dressing with potash fertilizer as a factor in the formation of yield and quality of tangerine fruits in the conditions of the Republic of Abkhazia

Foliar top dressing with potash fertilizer as a factor in the formation of yield and quality of tangerine fruits in the conditions of the Republic of Abkhazia

Effect of Thymus vulgaris Essential Oil-Loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carriers in Alginate-Based Edible Coating on the Postharvest Quality of Tangerine Fruit

Effect of Thymus vulgaris Essential Oil-Loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carriers in Alginate-Based Edible Coating on the Postharvest Quality of Tangerine Fruit

Recovery of Orange Peel Essential Oil from ‘Sai-Namphaung’ Tangerine Fruit Drop Biomass and Its Potential Use as Citrus Fruit Postharvest Diseases Control

In this study, we assessed the quality of essential oil recovered from fruit drop biomass and assessed its usefulness in preventing postharvest diseases in the tangerine ‘Sai-Namphaung’. Greening was the primary cause of the fruit drop, based on the enduring symptoms and occurrence of the disease in the area. Limonene, together with the presence of β-pinene and linalool, was discovered to be prevalent in essential oils of tangerine fruit peel, particularly that of ‘Sai-Namphaung’. Through isolation of citrus postharvest fungi, we were able to identify four genera which were later DNA sequenced using Internal Transcribed Spacer: ITS and subjected to Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST), with a high possibility (>98% similarity) of being Penicillium digitatum, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Fusarium sarcochrum and Geotrichum candidum. Essential oil from ‘Sai-Namphaung’ and ‘Fremont’ peel biomass positively inhibited green mold rot and citrus anthracnose caused by P. digitatum, C. gloeosporiodes, but were less effective than the commercial citrus oil and Zanthoxylum myriacanthum oil. This is the first evidence of ‘Sai-Namphaung’ postharvest diseases caused by these two fungi and their controls using citrus essential oil.

Antidiabetic and antihyperglycemic effect of citrus

The tangerine fruit peels of Citrus reticulata contain significant amounts of three flavanones: hesperidin, naringin, and narirutin. Citrus is a rue group species of blooming trees and shrubs. In contrast to flavonol and quercetinRutaceae, citrus peel complex compounds quantities of flavonol and quercetinRutaceae. DM is one of most chronic diseases in the world. Citrus reticulata is a kind of citrus fruit with a various degrees of Hesperidin, a glycosylated flavanone of hesperetin, suppresses gluconeogenic pathways and diminishes intestinal glucose absorption in diabetes patients, leading in anti-hyperglycemic properties. Recent research looks into the efficacy of naringin to improve cholesterol levels by reducing HMGCoA reductase. Citrus sinensis, Citrus paradisi, and their combination have antihyperlipidemic and antiatherosclerosis properties. Hyperlipidemia is a collection of disorders characterized by elevated blood levels of lipids and lipoproteins, such as cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), which can lead to atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease (CHD) are the leading causes of death and sickness around the world.

Loquat leaf extract and alginate based green composite edible coating for preserving the postharvest quality of Nanfeng tangerines

The present study was designed to investigate the preventive effect of loquat leaf (LL) based green extract combined with alginate-based composite against fungal infection in Nanfeng tangerine fruit. The sensory quality, physiological, and biochemical characteristics of postharvest citrus were estimated after the treatment. Results showed that LL extract's minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) to Penicillium digitatum were 0.625 mg/mL and 1.25 mg/mL, respectively. The scanning electron microscopy showed that LL extract could break, bend, and inhibit the average expected growth of P. digitatum hyphae. Concurrently, a composite coating of LL extract effectively reduces postharvest decay rate and weight loss, postpones fruit respiration, and delays the nutrient degradation of Nanfeng tangerines during cold storage. Also, a significant delay in MDA accumulation and an improved antioxidant defense system are shown by higher non-enzymatic antioxidants (ascorbic acid, phenols, and flavonoids) and higher ROS-scavenging enzymes (SOD, CAT, POD, and APX) were recorded. The green composite treatment could effectively delay the senescence and prolong the storage time of citrus. These results suggested that the green composite coating containing plant extract had great potential for citrus preservation.

The antifungal effect against Penicillium italicum and characterization of fruit coating from chitosan/ZnO nanoparticle/Indonesian sandalwood essential oil composites

The properties of an antifungal coating film made from chitosan (CH) combined with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZNPs) and Indonesian sandalwood essential oil (SEO) were investigated. Incorporation of 0.5% SEO or 0.025% ZNPs plus 0.5% SEO into 0.8% CH coating solution showed outstanding effects on the inhibition of both mycelium growth and spore germination of Penicillium italicum. The antifungal mechanism was explained by measuring the loss of membrane integrity of spores. The antifungal effectiveness was confirmed in vivo by carrying out tests on tangerine fruit. The biocompatibility of these coatings was analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and fluorescence microscopy. Significant increases in pH, appearance viscosity, and transparency and a decrease in light transmittance were found with 0.8% CH plus 0.025% ZNPs and 0.5% SEO compared with the control. CH films incorporating SEO and ZNPs can be used as an edible film and coating to reduce chemical use.

Eco-friendly control of licorice aqueous extract to increase quality and resistance to postharvest decay in apple and tangerine fruits.

Postharvest diseases in fruits and vegetables are one of the major problems in storing them as a fresh agri-product. This study aimed to investigate the antifungal activity of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) aqueous extract against the Penicillium expansum and the Penicillium digitatum in apple and tangerine fruits as well as their postharvest decay during storage time. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the molds, and the decay inhibition percentage (%DI) with the P.expansum for apple and P.digitatum for tangerine after treatment with licorice aqueous extract were measured. Additionally, the lesion diameter, titratable acidity (TA), total soluble solids (TSS), pH, and organoleptic properties were determined. The growth of molds was almost inhibited at the concentration of 62.5mg/mL. The ability of licorice aqueous extract to significantly control and reduce the growth of P. expansum in apple by 60 and 20 % after 7 days and 21 days of storage time was proved, respectively. Furthermore, significant differences in pH and TSS (p < 0.05) were observed in apples. Also, the growth of P. digitatum in the tangerine reduced by 33.3 % after 7 days, while there was no significant difference between the control and treatment groups in pH and TSS for apples, and similarly, there was no significant difference in TA for tangerine samples. Therefore, the licorice aqueous extract treatment could postpone the blue mold decay in apple fruits and green mold decay in tangerine without any significant effect on fruit quality characteristics. It can be considered as a new eco-friendly control in fruit preservation, while it did not result in any significant adverse effect on the quality.