Evaluation of Eight Essential Oils for Postharvest Control of Aspergillus carbonarius in Grapes

Emmanouil Kontaxakis; Emmanouela Filippidi; Andriana Stavropoulou; Dimitra Daferera; Petros A Tarantilis; Dimitris Lydakis

doi:10.4315/JFP-19-582

Evaluation of Eight Essential Oils for Postharvest Control of Aspergillus carbonarius in Grapes

J Food Prot. 2020 Sep 1;83(9):1632-1640. doi: 10.4315/JFP-19-582.

Authors

Emmanouil Kontaxakis¹, Emmanouela Filippidi¹, Andriana Stavropoulou¹, Dimitra Daferera², Petros A Tarantilis², Dimitris Lydakis¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Agriculture, School of Agriculture Science, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Estavromenos, 71410 Heraklion, Greece (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6829-6264 [E.K.]).
² Laboratory of Chemistry, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 118 55 Athens, Greece (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8934-7745 [D.D.]; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5853-4780 [P.A.T.]).

PMID: 32339232
DOI: 10.4315/JFP-19-582

Abstract

Abstract: A range of fungal species are associated with postharvest spoilage of grapes. However, Aspergillus carbonarius is the primary fungus responsible for the contamination of grapes with ochratoxin A, a mycotoxin causing several confirmed negative health effects in humans and animals. Aiming to find a method, safe for consumers, to prevent postharvest decay and ochratoxin A contamination of grapes, the potential use of essential oils as preservatives was investigated. Essential oils of Origanum dictamnus (dittany), Origanum onites (oregano), Origanum microphyllum (marjoram), Thymbra capitata (thyme), Satureja thymbra (savory), Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary), Laurus nobilis (laurel), and Salvia officinalis (sage) were tested. The essential oil components were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. A first evaluation of the effectiveness of essential oils was performed in vitro at a range of concentrations up to 300 μL L-1. Based on the results of the in vitro tests, the four most effective essential oils (O. dictamnus, O. onites, T. capitata, and S. thymbra) were tested on Sultana grapes during postharvest storage. The four essential oils tested, which had carvacrol and/or thymol as a common component, at a high concentration significantly reduced or even inhibited growth of the fungus in all treatments. As revealed from the results, the essential oils of O. dictamnus, O. onites, and S. thymbra were the most effective, causing total inhibition of the growth of the fungus with a minimum concentration of 100 μL L-1, followed by the essential oil of T. capitata, which showed total effectiveness with a minimum concentration of 200 μL L-1. Although essential oils of O. microphyllum, L. nobilis, S. officinalis, and R. officinalis had a significant effect on the growth of A. carbonarius, they failed to inhibit its growth at any of the concentrations tested.

Keywords: Aspergillus carbonarius; Essential oils; Grapes; Ochratoxin A; Postharvest; Shelf life.

MeSH terms

Animals
Aspergillus
Humans
Oils, Volatile* / pharmacology
Origanum
Vitis*

Substances

Oils, Volatile

Supplementary concepts

Aspergillus carbonarius