Study on Preservation Effect of Three Plant Essential Oils on Strawberry.

The antibacterial effects of clove essential oil, cinnamon essential oil and peppermint essential oil on strawberry Botrytis cinerea were compared, and the preservation effects of three kinds of plant essential oils on postharvest strawberry were explored. The inhibition zone and minimum inhibitory concentration of the three essential oils against Botrytis cinerea were determined by filter paper method and agar dilution method, respectively. The strawberry was sprayed and stored at 25 °C for 4 days. The texture, nutrient composition and oxidation related indexes of the fruits during storage were determined. The results showed that clove essential oil, cinnamon essential oil and mint essential oil could significantly inhibit the growth of Botrytis cinerea, and the minimum inhibitory concentrations were 0.50, 0.25, 1.00 µL/mL, respectively. The antibacterial effect of cinnamon essential oil was better than that of clove essential oil and mint essential oil. During storage, the decay index (39.85%), weight loss rate (2.24%) and total colony number of strawberry in cinnamon essential oil treatment group on the 4^th day of storage were significantly lower than those in clove essential oil treatment group and peppermint essential oil treatment group (P<0.05), the hardness (105.2 g/cm²) was significantly higher than that in clove essential oil treatment group and peppermint essential oil treatment group (P<0.05), and the contents of soluble solids and VC in nutrient components index were significantly higher than those in clove essential oil treatment group and peppermint essential oil treatment group (P<0.05). The malondialdehyde (MDA) content and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity in the oxidation-related indicators were lower than those in the clove essential oil treatment group and the peppermint essential oil treatment group, and the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activity were higher than those in the other two essential oil treatment groups. This study showed that the antibacterial preservation effect of cinnamon essential oil was better than that of clove essential oil and peppermint essential oil, which provided a theoretical basis for the application of strawberry preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]