Abstract
•We tested, namely thyme, cinnamon or oregano oils to control gray mold disease.•We investigate the effect of spraying or fumigation treatments of essential oils on the quality of "Taify" table grapes.•all treatments reduced the decay incidence with botrytis cinerea under natural infection.•Fruit treated with spraying of oregano oil at 1% developed less weight loss, decay.
This study investigated the effect of thyme, cinnamon, and oregano essential oil treatment (spraying and fumigation) on gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) and the quality of Taify table grapes in cold storage. Fruit were sprayed with 0.5% and 1% concentrations, fumigated with 2% or 4% concentrations, and stored at 2 °C ± 1 °C for 4 weeks. Compared with the untreated controls, all treatments had a stronger effect on quality maintenance. In addition, spraying was more effective than fumigation. Fruit sprayed with oregano oil with 1% concentration exhibited the least weight loss, decay, infection, and physical damage. They also exhibited the least changes in soluble solid content, vitamin C, and berry coloring. The second most effective treatment was spraying with cinnamon oil with 1% concentration. Furthermore, all treatments reduced the natural occurrence of B. cinerea. The highest reductions were observed in the oregano treatments (spraying with 1% and 4% concentrations). The lowest reductions were observed in the thyme treatments (spraying with 0.5% and 1% concentrations). The lowest levels of peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase enzymes were observed in the treatments with oregano (spraying with 0.5% and 1% concentration) and cinnamon (spraying with 1% concentration). Our results suggest that cinnamon and oregano essential oils could be used as natural antifungal compounds during postharvest storage.