Plant natural products for the management of postharvest diseases in fruits

Prevention of postharvest losses has been a very important concern in the scientific world for many centuries, since adoption of an effective means to curtail such losses is believed to help in reaching sustainability in horticultural production and prevention of hunger around the world. The main means of deterioration in fruits, which may occur after harvest, include physiological changes/losses, physical losses, biochemical changes, changes in enzymatic activities and pathological deterioration. Among these, diseases cover the most important part; the losses due to diseases range from 5% to 20%, and this figure may extend up to >50% in the cases of certain susceptible cultivars. Fungicides have been the most important tool for the management of postharvest diseases for many years, together with hygiene, cold storage and packaging. However, due to the scientifically confirmed hazards of agro-chemicals on environment and human health, the acceptability of agro-chemicals decreased and scientists turned their attention towards natural alternatives. Most tropical and subtropical fruits contain a superficial cuticle, which helps them to regulate respiration and transpiration and protects against microbial decay. However, the waxy cuticle is generally being removed or damaged during washing or other handling practices. Therefore, the application of protective coatings (including wax) has been used in the fruit industry since the twelfth century, against microbial decay and for maintaining an acceptable standard of postharvest quality. This review aims to summarise and discuss the main natural products used for this purpose, to provide a broad-in-scope guide to farmers and the fruit storage sector. Contents MAIN POSTHARVEST PHYTOPATHOGENS OF FRUITSBlue mould (P. italicum) and green mould (P. digitatum) in citrus fruits, pome fruits, stone fruits, grapes and berriesGrey mould (caused by B. cinerea) on pome fruits, stone fruits, grapes and berriesAlternaria rot (caused by Alternaria spp.) on pome fruits and stone fruitsBrown rot (M. fructiocola) on apricots, peach and nectarineAnthracnose (Colletotrichum spp.) on apple, avocado, banana, mango and other temperate fruits PLANT-BASED NATURAL PRODUCTS FOR CONTROLLING POSTHARVEST PHYTOPATHOGENSNatural plant-based products that are protein-based- Wheat gluten- Corn zein- Soy protein Natural plant-based products that are lipid-based - Oils - Waxes Natural plant-based products that are polysaccharide-based - Cellulose - Starch - Pectin - Aloe vera polysaccharides - Plant gums Plant-originated secondary metabolites? Table 2 of the paper (access below) contains natural plant-based products for controlling postharvest phytopathogens.? SourcesApplication of plant natural products for the management of postharvest diseases in fruitsWan, Chunpeng; Kahramano?lu, ?brahim; Okatan, VolkanFolia Horticulturae, Krak?w Tomo 33, N.? 1, (2021): 203-215DOI:10.2478/fhort-2021-0016https://www.proquest.com/openview/28dc692be319277006b8d88396e09dc5/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=2026483 Picture,?El blog de Fagro?