AROMATIC PLANTS AND THEIR BIOACTIVE PRODUCTS TO CONTROL POSTHARVEST 'ROCHA' PEAR DISEASES

Aromatic plants can play a determinant role in several domains of agriculture being recognized as useful for food preservation, preventing molds and pest attacks that affect the quality of fresh fruits. Post-harvest deterioration of fruits due to water loss, senescence and development of physiological disorders and fungal attack cause decay in quality and economic losses. In the present work the extracts of a set of aromatic plants were assayed for their capability to control fungi affecting cold stored fruits. Assays were performed in vitro and in vivo using the ‘Rocha’ pear cultivar kept in cold chambers. Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium expansum, two main pathogens responsible for postharvest rots, were used as biological targets. Even though low concentrations were used, promising results were achieved, from the in vitro tests performed with extracts or oils of eight aromatic plants. Significant mycelia growth reduction of both fungi was obtained mainly with Origanum vulgare, Coriandrum sativum and Mentha pulegium. Successful in vivo assays were performed with O. vulgare either for preventing or to treat fungal infections. From tests performed with standard compounds corresponding to the main constituents of such aromatic plants, positive results were also obtained mainly with caprilic acid, benzoic acid and pulegone. The present work is a positive contribution to the knowledge on biological potentialities of aromatic plants and their helpfulness to the development of harmless strategies to post-harvest control of fruit rots.