In vitro control of fungal phytopathogens from strawberry fruits using active packaging films made with thyme essential oil and polyhydroxybutyrate-co-valerate

The present work is a promising step toward controlling fungal phytopathogens on strawberry fruits associated with decay. We have achieved this by exposing them to thyme essential oil and antifungal thyme essential oil/polyhydroxy-butyrate-co-valerate (PHBV) films. Phytopathogens ( Alternaria tenuissima , Colletotrichum acutatum , Geotrichum candidum , and Cladosporium cladosporioides ) were isolated from strawberry fruits postharvest. The mycelial growth of these phytopathogens was effectively inhibited with 0.25 and 0.50 mg/mL of thyme essential oil (40.69 ± 0.05 g of Thymol /100 g of oil) after 6 Days. The innovative use of thyme essential oil and PHBV in developing antifungal active film for food packaging, fabricated using the casting method with different doses of thyme essential oil: 4 % (T4), 6 % (T6), and 8 % (T8), has shown promising results. The T8 treatments inhibit fungal growth to a certain percentage concerning Cneg. A. tenuissima = 57 %, C. acutatum = 54 %, G. candidum = 61 % and C. cladosporioides = 56 %: at Day 6. The thyme essential oil released from the thyme essential oil and PHBV films changes the morphology and damages the membrane permeability of the phytopathogens tested. This research opens up new possibilities for effectively controlling strawberries' fruit losses with antifungal active films (active packaging).