title: Thyme oil vapour and modified atmosphere packaging reduce anthracnose incidence and maintain fruit quality in avocado.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Postharvest application of prochloraz fungicide is commercially practiced to control anthracnose, a postharvest disease in avocado. Increasing consumer concern regarding food safety and demand for organically produced fruits make it necessary to search for natural environmentally friendly alternative products and processes for the fruit industry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A combination of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP; ∼8% CO₂, 2% O₂) plus thyme oil (TO) was evaluated on the incidence and severity of anthracnose, physiological disorders (grey pulp, vascular browning), fruit quality parameters (L*, h°, firmness, weight loss) and sensory parameters (taste, texture, flavour and overall acceptance), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) enzyme activity, total phenolic compounds, flavonoid contents and antioxidant activity in avocados ('Fuerte' and 'Hass' cultivars) held at 10 °C cold storage for 18 days and thereafter, ripened at 25 °C for 5-10 days. Stand-alone MAP, commercial treatment (prochloraz 0.05%) and untreated (control) fruit were included for comparison. MAP + TO treatment significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the incidence and severity of anthracnose, grey pulp, vascular browning, weight loss and loss of fruit firmness, and showed acceptable taste, flavour, texture and higher overall acceptance, increased PAL activity, total phenolic compounds, flavonoid contents and antioxidant activity, after ripening at 25 °C followed by cold storage at 10 °C.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This investigation recommends MAP + TO combination treatment as a suitable alternative to the currently adopted prochloraz application.
authors.affiliation: Postharvest Technology Group, Department of Crop Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria 0001, South Africa.
authors.forename: Periyar Selvam
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Sellamuthu
authors.forename: Mpho
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mafune
authors.forename: Dharini
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sivakumar
authors.forename: Puffy
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Soundy
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis; D018857:Food Packaging; D005519:Food Preservation; D063427:Food Quality; D061353:Food Storage; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D015416:Maillard Reaction; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry*; D027421:Persea / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000201:enzymology; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis; D010650:Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012677:Sensation; D013019:South Africa; D013045:Species Specificity; D046930:Thymus Plant / Q000737:chemistry*; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005419:Flavonoids; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010636:Phenols; D010940:Plant Proteins; D010650:Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase
keywords: antioxidant activity; essential oil; gas composition; thymol; total phenolic compounds