The Current State of Knowledge about Essential Oil Fumigation for Quality of Crops during Postharvest

Abstract

Prolonging crops’ shelf-life while retaining their high quality is a major issue related to postharvest management. During storage, fruits and vegetables are exposed to microbial attacks, which may cause spoilage. Crop deterioration causes the loss of physical properties and drops in quality and nutritional value. Hence, new techniques to improve the resistance of food products are being explored. One promising technique is fumigation. Essential oils and their constituents, due to their antimicrobial properties, are likely to be used as fumigants, as they are highly volatile, effective in low concentrations, biodegradable, and safe. Papers indicate that some of them can improve their quality by increasing the content of antioxidants. This comprehensive review aims to present the current state of knowledge about the influence of essential oil fumigation on crop quality. It covers antioxidant capacity, the content of some bioactive compounds, physicochemical properties, decay properties, and sensory attributes of fruits and vegetables treated with essential oil vapors. The review indicates that this technique might be an interesting field for further exploration due to the promising results presented in the studies. Moreover, the review presents major objectives for current studies and indicates a lack of recent papers in this field.

Effect of carnauba wax nanoemulsion associated with Syzygium aromaticum and Mentha piperita essential oils as an alternative to extend lychee post-harvest shelf life

“…32 The main antioxidant compounds in clove essential oil are eugenol and beta-caryophyllene, while menthol is the main antioxidant compound in peppermint essential oil. 33,34 These compounds are capable of donating electrons or hydrogen atoms to free radicals, neutralizing their reactivity and preventing them from causing oxidative damage to cells and tissues. 35 Therefore, essential oils in proper concentrations and formulations can safely and effectively preserve food.…”

New preservation and detection technologies for edible mushrooms: A review

“…Essential oils have excellent antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, 109 and can be used as an alternative to chemical preservatives, satisfying consumer demand for natural products as good postharvest treatments 110 . They can be used as fumigants due to their high volatility, their ability to be used in low concentrations, their biodegradability, and safety 111 . The antimicrobial effect of essential oils can be attributed to their ability to penetrate bacterial cell membranes into cells and to inhibit functional cellular properties, and to their lipophilic nature 112 .…”

“…110 They can be used as fumigants due to their high volatility, their ability to be used in low concentrations, their biodegradability, and safety. 111 The antimicrobial effect of essential oils can be attributed to their ability to penetrate bacterial cell membranes into cells and to inhibit functional cellular properties, and to their lipophilic nature. 112 Essential oil treatment is also effective in preventing the decrease in polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase activity, preventing browning and improving the quality of mushrooms.…”

Application of Lavender and Rosemary Essential Oils (EOs), Their Mixture and Eucalyptol (EOs Main Compound) on Cucumber Fruit Quality Attributes and Microbial Load

“…Similarly, those treatments also caused a decrease in cucumbers' antioxidant levels on the tenth day, whereas Lav 100 µL/L resulted in an increase in antioxidants (ABTS assay) (Table 3), indicating increased nutritive value produce. The decrease in cucumbers' antioxidant levels might be attributed to the protective effect of the applied EOs that shield plant tissue from biotic and abiotic stress, suppressing defense mechanisms of the plant tissue due to their antioxidant activity [14,59]. The antioxidant capacity of the fruit is not unlimited and might be exhausted after a certain point.…”

“…The reduction in the oxidative stress indicators by the vapor of the applied EOs is mainly attributed to their composition (i.e., phenols, flavonoids, etc. ), which exhibit free radical scavenging activities while at the same time increasing the antioxidant capacity of the produce they are applied on [59].…”