title: Effects of poplar buds as an alternative to propolis on postharvest diseases control of strawberry fruits.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Botrytis cinerea and Rhizopus stolonifer, two main postharvest pathogens, cause great loss of strawberry fruits. Here, the effects of poplar buds extracts, a main plant source for Chinese propolis, on disease control were investigated in vitro and in vivo.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The HPLC profile of poplar buds ethanol extract (PBEE) was almost identical to that of propolis ethanol extract (PEE), with the active flavonoids identified as pinocembrin, chrysin and galangin. PBEE exhibited similar inhibitory activities on spore germination of both pathogens compared with PEE, and PBEE also strongly inhibited the mycelial growth of the pathogens. In vivo, PBEE could effectively reduce decay of strawberry fruits stored at 13 °C. Although the weight loss was slightly increased, the contents of total soluble solid, titritable acid, vitamin C and total anthocyanins were significantly higher in PBEE treated fruits than those of the control.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PBEE had the similar antifungal activity with propolis and had great potential as an alternative to propolis to control strawberry fruits diseases.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, Ministry of Education, College of food science and technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
authors.forename: Shuzhen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, Ministry of Education, College of food science and technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
authors.forename: Yefeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Junli
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, Ministry of Education, College of food science and technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, Ministry of Education, College of food science and technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
authors.forename: Litao
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, Ministry of Education, College of food science and technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
authors.forename: Siyi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D020171:Botrytis / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D035264:Flowers / Q000737:chemistry*; D005520:Food Preservatives / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D031985:Fragaria / Q000382:microbiology*; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D032107:Populus / Q000737:chemistry*; D011429:Propolis / Q000737:chemistry*; D012233:Rhizopus / Q000187:drug effects; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D005520:Food Preservatives; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011429:Propolis
keywords: antifungal activity; poplar buds; postharvest diseases; propolis; strawberry