Assessment of the antifungal potential of the essential oil from Thymus vulgaris against Botrytis cinerea causative agent of postharvest grey mould on strawberry fruits

Abstract

Depending on commodity and region, postharvest diseases can cause considerable economic losses. Although effective against postharvest pathogens, synthetic pesticides have gained increasingly negative attention over the past years from the public opinion. Among natural fungicides, plant derived compounds such as essential oils (EOs), have become topic of increasing discussion over the last couple of decades as safe and ecologically friendly alternatives to synthetic pesticides. Grey mould caused by Botrytis cinerea is an important postharvest disease of strawberries and many other horticultural products. In the present study the antifungal potential of Thymus vulgaris essential oil was tested on individual strawberries artificially inoculated with Botrytis cinerea. Two dilutions of thyme essential oil, 200 µl/ml and 500 µl/ml, were applied to strawberry fruits and incubated for a period of 13 days. The dilution 500 µl/ml effectively suppressed fungal growth in strawberries for a period of 7 days, more than twice as long as the control group. Furthermore only one out of five replications in the 500 µl/ml treatment was visibly infected while the others remained free from infection for the entirety of the experiment. At experiment conclusion the strawberries in the 500 µl/ml treatment maintained a healthier shape, firmness, and colour compared to the control and 200 µl/ml treatment. This study has confirmed that the application of thyme essential oil could be an efficient biocontrol tool in postharvest stage.

In Vitro and In Vivo Antifungal Activities of Nine Commercial Essential Oils against Brown Rot in Apples

“…After 15 days of storage, results showed that thyme EO at 10% was statistically beneficial against P. expansum, and treatments with 1% and 10% of the EO were statistically similar to the chemical control for B. cinerea [55]. Gebel and Magurno [78] investigated the in vivo antifungal activity of T. vulgaris essential oil at two concentrations: 200 µL/mL and 500 µL/mL. They demonstrated a high efficacy of thyme EO in reducing gray mold incidence and found that a 500 µL/mL dose effectively inhibited B. cinerea mycelial growth after 7 days.…”

Microstructural and physicochemical quality maintenance in green bell pepper infected with Botrytis cinerea and treated with thyme essential oil combined with carnauba wax

“…Nabigol and Morshedi (2011) found that TEO delayed the onset of gray mold symptoms in tomatoes and strawberries. Similarly, Gebel and Magurno (2014) observed that gray mold symptoms in untreated strawberries began to appear 3 days after inoculation, whereas in strawberries treated with TEO appeared on day 5. Some authors agree that the mechanism by which TEO decreases the growth of microorganisms is due to the hydrophobicity of their compounds, which allows them to interact with the lipids of the fungal cell membrane.…”

Potencial de extratos etanólicos de propólis e extratos aquosos de plantas espontâneas no controle de doenças pós-colheita do morango

“…Já para Carvalho et al (2009) Nos últimos anos, muitos trabalhos têm relatado o potencial de óleos essenciais e extratos de plantas medicinais como alternativa no controle de doenças pós-colheita (ALMEIDA et al, 2009;BRAGA, 2012;DEMARTELAERE et al, 2015;GEBEL;MAGURNO, 2014;MOURA et al, 2012;SAUTTER et al, 2011) …”