Basil oil incorporated beeswax coating to increase shelf life and reduce anthracnose development in mango cv. Willard

Use of biologically safe, essential oil-incorporated fruit coatings to reduce postharvest losses has become an attractive alternative to synthetic fungicides in recent years. Increase in shelf life due to reduced water loss and reduced evaporation of essential oils (EO) within the coating are key advantages of incorporating EOs to fruit coatings. The effect of beeswax as a fruit coating with and without essential oil on the postharvest quality and natural disease development of mango (cv. Willard) was evaluated by conducting a laboratory experiment. Pure Beeswax, dissolved either in vegetable oil (1:3 w/v) or petroleum ether (1:4 w/v), served as the coating material. Basil oil at 400 or 600 μL L^-1 was incorporated to the different coating material. Fruits with no coating and no essential oil served as controls. Eight replicate fruits were used per treatment and three trials were performed. Treated fruits were arranged in a Completely Randomized Design and kept under ambient conditions. Daily observations were made on natural disease development and weight loss. The Total Soluble Solid content and titrable acidity were measured at eating ripe stage and sensory evaluation by a taste panel was also obtained. Data were analyzed using ANOVA with SPSS software version 20.0 package. Results indicated that basil oil in beeswax significantly reduced physiological weight loss, delayed fruit ripening and also delayed and reduced postharvest disease development.