Hydrolate and EO Application to Reduce Decay of Carica papaya during Storage

Postharvest fruit loss is caused by the absence of advanced handling and storage technologies and the quiescent presence of fungal pathogens. Therefore, there is a growing demand for sustainable decisions for the planet. This study focused on the use of two types of edible coatings: one was based on the essential oil of Origanum vulgare L. subsp. viridulum with Aloe arborescens Mill. gel (EC1), and the other was based on the hydrolate only (EC2). These treatments were applied to provide defense against fungal infections in papaya (Carica papaya L. cv Solo), and the storage time was 25 days (T5 +/- 1 degrees C). Fruits coated with EC1 were more contaminated with fungal pathogens than both control (CTR) and EC2 fruit. EC2 showed a statistically lower decay index than CTR and EC1 and maintained its organoleptic characteristics better, showing a 15% loss of firmness after 25 days of storage. Furthermore, the lowest decay index (1.14 after 25 days) was found for the EC1 and CTR. These findings suggest that the use of hydrolate can be useful for extending the shelf life and maintaining the quality of papaya fruit, representing an alternative to the use of synthetic fungicides for food safety.

Automated summary

Postharvest fruit loss is caused by the absence of advanced handling and storage technologies and the presence of fungal pathogens. This study focused on the use of edible coatings derived from Origanum vulgare L. subsp. viridulum essential oil and Aloe arborescens Mill. gel to provide defense against fungal infections in papaya. The results showed that fruits coated with the combination of essential oil and gel had higher fungal contamination, while fruits coated with the hydrolate only showed better preservation of organoleptic characteristics with lower decay index. These findings suggest that the use of hydrolate can be a sustainable alternative to synthetic fungicides for extending the shelf life and maintaining the quality of papaya fruit.