AUTHOR=Slathia Shummu , Sharma Yash Pal , Hakla Haroon Rashid , Urfan Mohammad , Yadav Narendra Singh , Pal Sikander 

TITLE=Post-harvest Management of Alternaria Induced Rot in Tomato Fruits With Essential Oil of Zanthoxylum armatum DC

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems

VOLUME=5

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2021.679830

DOI=10.3389/fsufs.2021.679830

ISSN=2571-581X

ABSTRACT=<p>Alternaria fruit rot is a major disease caused by <italic>Alternaria alternata</italic> (Fr.) Keissl., a prolific fungal pathogen. Among post-harvest diseases of tomato, fruit rot induced by <italic>A</italic>. <italic>alternata</italic> is the most damaging. Antifungal agents are widely used to control post-harvest management of tomato fruits. However, negative impacts of fungicidal residues in edible fruits and vegetables on human health cannot be over ruled. Eco-friendly ways of controlling Alternaria rot in tomato fruits offer a novel way of tomato rot management. The current study proposes an alternate method in controlling tomato fruit rots through <italic>Zanthoxylum armatum</italic> DC essential oil (EO) application. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry profiling showed eucalyptol and sabinene as major components of <italic>Z</italic>. <italic>armatum</italic> EO. Furthermore, EO applied (0.5–4.5 μl/ml) showed significant inhibition of <italic>A. alternata</italic> growth (<italic>p</italic> &gt; 0.05) at 4.5 μl concentration tested. Lipid peroxidation assays revealed significant reduction in membrane damage in tomato fruits treated by EO compared to alone inoculated fruits with <italic>A</italic>. <italic>alternata</italic>. Elevated activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione reductase coupled with enhanced antioxidants such as ascorbic acid, glutathione, proline, and total phenols in EO-treated fruits may be linked with better fruit rot management than control fruits inoculated with <italic>A</italic>. <italic>alternata</italic>-induced rot alone. Mycelia and spore production was dramatically reduced in EO applied tomato fruits over <italic>A</italic>. <italic>alternata</italic> alone in tomato fruits (<italic>p</italic> &gt; 0.05). Interestingly, free radical scavenging activities of EO applied tomato fruits showed significant improvement compared to only pathogen-inoculated tomato fruits. Findings propose practical utility of <italic>Z</italic>. <italic>armatum</italic> EO as a plant-based antifungal for post-harvest management of Alternaria rot in tomato fruits.</p>