Assessment of the Antifungal Activity of Natural Compounds to Reduce Postharvest Gray Mould (Botrytis Cinerea Pers.: FR.) of Kiwifruits (Actinidia Deliciosa) During Storage

Essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.), ajowan (Carum copticum L.), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare L.) and summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.) were assessed under in vivo condition for antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea on kiwifruits. Inoculated and oil-treated fruits were kept in storage, 90 days. Evaluation of the antifungal activity of essential oils showed that with the increase of their concentrations the antifungal activity was increased, but no significant differences were observed. In addition, the quality parameters such as total soluble solids (TSS), titrable acidity (TA) and vitamin C reduced in fruits treated with essential oil. Weightloss and firmness values were not affected by essential oil treatment and essential oil treated kiwi- fruits showed off-flavor in compare to control. Results of this study suggest that application of essential oil to control postharvest pathogens is worthy of future works.