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. 2018 Jan 5;7(1):7.
doi: 10.3390/foods7010007.

Thyme and Savory Essential Oil Vapor Treatments Control Brown Rot and Improve the Storage Quality of Peaches and Nectarines, but Could Favor Gray Mold

Karin Santoro  1   2 , Marco Maghenzani  3 , Valentina Chiabrando  4 , Pietro Bosio  5 , Maria Lodovica Gullino  6   7 , Davide Spadaro  8   9 , Giovanna Giacalone  10
Affiliations

Thyme and Savory Essential Oil Vapor Treatments Control Brown Rot and Improve the Storage Quality of Peaches and Nectarines, but Could Favor Gray Mold

Karin Santoro et al. Foods. .

Abstract

The effect of biofumigation, through slow-release diffusors, of thyme and savory essential oils (EO), was evaluated on the control of postharvest diseases and quality of peaches and nectarines. EO fumigation was effective in controlling postharvest rots. Naturally contaminated peaches and nectarines were exposed to EO vapors for 28 days at 0 °C in sealed storage cabinets and then exposed at 20 °C for five days during shelf-life in normal atmosphere, simulating retail conditions. Under low disease pressure, most treatments significantly reduced fruit rot incidence during shelf-life, while, under high disease pressure, only vapors of thyme essential oil at the highest concentration tested (10% v/v in the diffusor) significantly reduced the rots. The application of thyme or savory EO favored a reduction of brown rot incidence, caused by Monilinia fructicola, but increased gray mold, caused by Botrytis cinerea. In vitro tests confirmed that M. fructicola was more sensitive to EO vapors than B. cinerea. Essential oil volatile components were characterized in storage cabinets during postharvest. The antifungal components of the essential oils increased during storage, but they were a low fraction of the volatile organic compounds in storage chambers. EO vapors did not influence the overall quality of the fruit, but showed a positive effect in reducing weight loss and in maintaining ascorbic acid and carotenoid content. The application of thyme and savory essential oil vapors represents a promising tool for reducing postharvest losses and preserving the quality of peaches and nectarines.

Keywords: Botrytis spp.; Monilinia spp.; biofumigation; essential oils; postharvest disease; stone fruit.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The founding sponsors had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, and in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Rot incidence in nectarines ‘Sweet Red’ (a) and peaches ‘Vista Rich’ (b) treated with essential oil biofumigation and pathogen incidence (%) at the end of shelf life (5 days at 20 °C after 28 days of cold storage). Values of the same storage trial, followed by the same letter, are not statistically different by Tukey’s Test (p < 0.05).
Figure 2
Figure 2
M. fructicola (gray columns) and B. cinerea conidial germination percentage (black columns) after biofumigation without direct contact with essential oil in vitro. Conidial germination was assessed after 20 h for B. cinerea and 36 h for M. fructicola at 20 °C. Values of the same pathogen, followed by the same letter, are not statistically different by Tukey’s Test (p < 0.05).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Total content of carotenoids in nectarines ‘Sweet Red’ (a) and peaches ‘Vista Rich’ (b) after 0, 14 and 28 days of cold storage. Mean values at the same time followed by the same letter are not significantly different by Tukey’s Test at p ≤ 0.05.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Total content of vitamin C (ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid) in nectarines ‘Sweet Red’ (a) and peaches ‘Vista Rich’ (b) after 0, 14 and 28 days of cold storage. Mean values at the same time followed by the same letter are not significantly different by Tukey’s Test at p ≤ 0.05.
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