Evaluation of biodegradable films for postharvest control of fungi in papaya

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Mónica Hernández López
Jessica Guillén Sánchez
Silvia Bautista Baños
Dagoberto Guillén Sánchez

Abstract

There are several postharvest fungi that cause diseases and that greatly reduce the storage life of the papaya fruit. The objective of the study was to evaluate the antifungal effect of films formulated with chitosan, and other natural products. Chitosan films combined with beeswax, oleic acid and essential oils of thyme, cinnamon and clove were first evaluated as inhibitors of the in vitro mycelial growth of Rhizopus stolonifer, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Alternaria alternata, Fusarium oxysporum and Penicillium digitatum. The formulations that responded best in vitro were evaluated by immersion of the papaya fruits, determined their effect on the control of anthracnose (C. gloeosporioides) compared with Sportak (prochloraz) at 3 mL L-1 as commercial control. Films based on chitosan, beeswax/oleic acid and essential oils of cinnamon and clove 1 % (Treatments 9, 3, 21 and 25), completely inhibited the mycelial growth of the five fungi. The treatments applied by immersion of papaya fruits did not present a significant effect on the incidence and severity of the anthracnose, only the treatment with Sportak and Chitosan had effect after 17 days of storage at 14 ± 2 ºC. Regarding quality, the biodegradable films did not affect the content of total soluble solids in the fruits and weight loss.

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How to Cite
Hernández López, M., Guillén Sánchez, J., Bautista Baños, S., & Guillén Sánchez, D. (2018). Evaluation of biodegradable films for postharvest control of fungi in papaya. Cultivos Tropicales, 39(1), 52–60. Retrieved from https://ediciones.inca.edu.cu/index.php/ediciones/article/view/1422
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Original Article

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