Impact of some plant essential oil treatments on controlling cherry tomatoes spoilage, improvement shelf life and quality attributes during storage

Abstract EN

Food safety is one of the major issues to fresh fruits and vegetables.

The preservation of freshness quality of cherry tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is relevant due to their economical impact.

Under modified atmosphere (MA) (12% CO2 + 6% O2) cool storage conditions (7º C ± 1 and RH 90 ± 3%), some essential oils (black seed, fenugreek, cinnamon, spearmint, basil, and thyme) were used to treat, healthy and inoculated fruits with spoilage pathogens Alternaria alternata and Botrytis cinerea.

The results indicated that fruits decay decreased in coated fruits treated with essential oils.

However, as the storage period progressed, a general declining trend in all fruits quality parameters were observed for all treatments except for tomatoes treated with the essential oils, which, showing a lowest weight loss, firmness, Total Soluble Solids (TSS), pH, sugar fractions and antioxidant components (vitamin C., lycopene and phenolic fractions).

The highest color changes were found in control group, inoculated fruits and untreated group.

The obtained results suggested that essential plant oils may improve control decay of fruits, enhancement fruit shelf life and quality-related attributes on top of the well- documented antimicrobial protection during cold storage