Chitosan coatings with essential oil reduce blue mould in Fuji apples

Blue mould caused by Penicillium species remains one of the major postharvest diseases affecting apples, leading to significant losses during storage and distribution.

A recent study investigated the use of chitosan coatings enriched with essential oil extracted from Schinus lentiscifolia as a sustainable alternative for controlling the disease while preserving fruit quality in 'Fuji' apples.

Chemical analysis identified 14 volatile organic compounds in the essential oil. The dominant constituents were the monoterpenes β-pinene (34.68%) and α-pinene (30.61%), followed by β-terpinene, camphene and o-cymene, compounds widely recognised for their antimicrobial properties.

The antifungal activity of the essential oil was evaluated against Penicillium spp. both in vitro and during fruit storage. Apples were stored under refrigerated conditions (0 ± 0.5 °C and 90 ± 5% relative humidity) for 30 days, followed by six days at room temperature to simulate commercial shelf-life conditions.

The most effective treatment consisted of a 1% chitosan coating supplemented with 2,000 mg/L of S. lentiscifolia essential oil. This formulation reduced blue mould severity by 88.1% during refrigerated storage and by 69.2% during the subsequent ambient storage period.

In addition to disease suppression, treated fruit showed lower ethylene production, potentially contributing to delayed ripening. Importantly, none of the treatments negatively affected fruit quality attributes or commercial appearance.

The findings demonstrate that combining chitosan coatings with Schinus lentiscifolia essential oil offers a promising postharvest strategy for controlling blue mould while maintaining the quality of Fuji apples throughout storage.

Source

Costa, A. R., Bortoluzzi, R. L. C., Steffens, C. A., Santos, V. A. F. O., Moreira, M. A., & Corrêa, B. J. S. (2026). Chitosan Coatings with Essential Oil of Schinus lentiscifolia Marchand for the Management of Blue Mold and Preservation of Postharvest Quality of ‘Fuji’ Apples. Preprint. Europe PMC. https://europepmc.org/article/ppr/ppr1188034