Conservación de Mora, Uvilla y Frutilla Mediante la Utilización de Aceite Esencial de Canela (Cinnamomum zeynalicum)

Abstract

The objective of this research was to evaluate the antifungal effect of cinnamon essential oil, a natural preservative, with the purpose of prolonging the shelf life during storage of blackberries, grapes and strawberries. The causal agent of blackberry, grapefruit and strawberry rot is Botrytis sp, which was isolated until a pure strain was obtained. The essential oil was evaluated at two concentrations of 250 and 500 ppm on the in vitro development of Botrytis sp. Blackberry, strawberry and grape fruits were used to evaluate the antifungal effect of the essential oil in vivo (days of storage, physical-chemical parameters, microbiological analysis). The results of the in vitro experiments showed that the most effective treatments were obtained with cinnamon essential oil at 250 and 500 ppm. In situ experiments showed that cinnamon essential oil at 500 ppm combined with fruit storage at refrigerated temperature (5ºC) was the most effective treatment for reducing fungal rot and loss of fruit quality characteristics, increasing the shelf life of blackberries and strawberries for a period of 15 days; in the case of grapes, the shelf life was extended up to 30 days. It is concluded that cinnamon essential oil has an antifungal effect against Botrytis sp, which prolongs the shelf life of the fruits, preserving their quality and characteristics. Therefore, the use of cinnamon essential oil as a natural alternative to synthetic fungicides is recommended to blackberry, grapefruit and strawberry growers to control rotting of their crops.