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Assessment of the Preservative Activity of Some Essential Oils to Reduce Postharvest Fungal Rot on Kiwifruits (Actinidia deliciosa)

Abstract The aim of this study was to find a natural alternative for synthetic agrochemicals currently used in preservation of kiwifruits during postharvest stage. Different concentrations (0, 250, 500 and 750 μl/l) of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.), ajowan (Carum copticum L.), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) and summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.) essential oils were sprayed on kiwifruits. Treated fruits were kept in storage (0 – 1°C) for 90 days. Accordingly, T. vulgaris and S. hortensis oils showed a good antifungal activity compared with C. copticum and F. vulgare. Evaluation of sensory parameters showed that total soluble solids content (TSS), titrable acidity (TA) and vitamin C content were decreased under essential oil treatment while, fruit firmness and weight loss were not affected significantly. In addition, TSS, TA, TSS/TA and vitamin C content in kiwifruits treated with T. vulgaris oil were higher than other oils. GC and GC-MS analysis showed that β-ocimene (12.6 %), thymol (63.0 %), trans-anethole (64.7 %) and carvacrol (54.1 %) were the main compounds identified in T. vulgaris, C. copticum, F. vulgare and S. hortensis oils, respectively.