Positive effect of lippia sidoides essential oil associated with carboxymethylcellulose in the control of anthracnose in avocado

Abstract

AbstractThe fungus Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, which is the causal agent of anthracnose disease in green-skinned avocados, is responsible for significant postharvest fruit losses. In this context, strategies should be considered to avoid this problem. The use of essential oil (EO) can represent an alternative to contribute to antifungal activity, avoiding the use of chemical products, as their indiscriminate use can have harmful effects on human health. It is known that essential oil (EO) may exhibit antifungal activity and can be used as an alternative to chemical products. Therefore, the potential of using Lippia sidoides EO to control this fungus was investigated through in vitro evaluation (MIC and EC50) on C. gloeosporioides isolated from avocados. Furthermore, the potential of incorporating this oil with carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) for postharvest treatment in avocados was assessed in vivo to control anthracnose and maintain their physicochemical and sensory quality. The EO from L. sidoides demonstrated a MIC of 125 μl L−1 and an EC50 of 46.83 μl L−1 against this pathogen. The results indicated that the CMC edible coating associated with L. sidoides EO exhibited a positive effect on fruit quality during cold storage. In terms of sensory aspects, avocados treated with L. sidoides EO associated with CMC showed improved appearance compared to the control treatment. These findings suggest that L. sidoides EO has potential in the postharvest treatment of avocados. Additionally, these results are significant and unprecedented for this crop, as research on the postharvest effects of incorporating this EO with edible coatings in avocados is still limited. Graphical Abstract