Use of Melaleuca alternifolia essential oil as an efficient strategy to extend the shelf life of banana fruits

Banana anthracnose is one of the main postharvest diseases economically compromising the fruit production chain. Fruit treatment with natural products can reduce postharvest pathogen infestation and increase protection during storage. For natural control of this disease, the activity of the essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia (MAEO) was investigated in Colletotrichum musae. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro antifungal activity of the MAEO on C. musae by of different concentrations and to evaluate the effect of MAEO on the incidence and severity of anthracnose. The essential oil (EO) was characterized by gas chromatography (GC-FID and GC-MS). The relative percentage of monoterpenes was 96.94%, and terpinen-4-ol was the main component (47.08%). The minimum inhibitory dose (EC100) of the mycelial growth of C. musae was reached at a concentration of 2.15 mu g mL- 1. Bananas were treated with water emulsions MAEO into at different concentrations (0.50, 1.00, 2.00, 3.00, 4.00 and 5.00 mu g mL-1) for 08 days of storage at 25 +/- 2 degrees C. MAEO showed fungistatic action from the concentration of 2.0 mu g mL-1 (p < 0.05). The results showed that, after storage, MAEO at 0.50, 1.00, 2.00, 3.00, 4.00 and 5.00 mu g mL-1 reduced area under the disease-progress curve (AUDPC) by 80%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97% and 98%, respectively. MAEO reduces the severity of anthracnose after fruits treatment, without causing phytotoxic action, maybe a promising candidate for Biorational pesticides, in preservation and increment shelf life fruits banana.