Effect of Cumin Essential Oil on Postharvest Decay and Some Quality Factors of Strawberry

Background: An essential oil is a liquid that is generally distilled from the leaves, stems, flowers or other elements of a plant. Objective: Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) Essential Oil (CEO) was analyzed to determine oil component. Antifungal effect of CEO was determined by in vitro technique. In second stage, effect of different concentrations of CEO by PDM on postharvest life of strawberry (Fragaria×ananassa Duch.) fruit, cultivar Selva, was studied. Methods: Antifungal effect of CEO was carried out with Paper Disk Method (PDM) and Solution Method (SM). In second stage Fruits were infected artificially by Botrytis cinerea spore, and then treated by different concentration of CEO. The rate of weight loss, fruit firmness, Total Soluble solids (TSS), titrable acidity, pH, ascorbic acid and color of fruits were determined at 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 days after the beginning of storage. The degree of infection on fruit was rated using a scale of 0 to 8, Fruit surface color was measured by Chromameter (CR 400, Minolta), TA by titration method, ascorbic acid content by iodometric method TSS content (Brix˚) by refractometer and pH by pH meter. Results: PDM was effective as antifungal. Storage life of the strawberry fruits was increased by the use of CEO significantly, by inhibition of fungal infection compared to controls. No significant fruit firmness, total soluble solids were observed in treated fruits compared to controls at all determination times. CEO treated fruit maintained higher L* at 3 and 6 day in compare with control. Titrable acidity, pH and ascorbic acid were significant in some stages. Conclusion: Results of present paper confirmed antifungal effect of CEO in both in vitro and on fruit postharvest. However, more studies are required to recommendation of CEO as a commercial and natural antifungal for increase postharvest on horticultural crops.