Effects of essential oils on bull’s eye rot development and apple fruit properties
摘要
The influence of a vapor phase of Thymus vulgaris L. and Origanum vulgare L. essential oils on the development of Neofabraea alba, the most frequent causal agent of Bull’s eye rot of apple, and on physical characteristics, chemical composition, and enzymatic activity of apple fruits after 78 days of cold storage and after an additional 7 days of shelf life were investigated in this study. After cold storage, the thyme oil, applied at 0.16 µl/ml, exhibited the highest inhibition rate (47.4%), followed by oregano oil at the same concentration. Physical characteristics and chemical composition of apple fruits varied depending on the applied essential oil and its concentration. The highest antioxidant and enzymatic activity, as well as the total content of phenols and tannins were recorded in treatments with a higher concentration of thyme oil after the additional shelf life incubation. Lipid peroxidation levels were the highest in positive control, due to N. alba infection, while applied essential oils significantly decreased peroxidation.