Guggul gum and clove essential oil synergistically reduced anthracnose disease and modulated physicochemical changes in tomato during storage

Abstract

Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum L.) is an important vegetable crop that is widely used and forms a major part of the diet for people worldwide. However, pathogenic fungi, including Colletotrichum spp., significantly affect the quality of tomatoes during storage. Edible coatings derived from natural products have been proven to control postharvest diseases without compromising fruit quality. Thus, this study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of guggul gum (GG) edible coating and clove essential oil (CO) on tomatoes during storage at 25 °C for 20 days. Different concentrations, including GG 5 % + CO 0.5 %, GG 10 % + CO 0.5 %, and GG 15 % + CO 0.5 %, were applied. The results revealed that GG 15 % + CO 0.5 % was the most effective concentration against anthracnose disease. Tomatoes treated with guggul gum and clove oil inhibited mycelium growth, spore germination, disease incidence, and severity effectively. Tomatoes treated with GG 15 % + CO 0.5 % significantly reduced soluble solids concentration, weight loss, ion leakage, and color changes. Similarly, GG 15 % + CO 0.5 % significantly maintained higher firmness, ascorbic acid, titratable acidity, total phenolic content, and sensory quality. Guggul gum and clove oil could serve as an alternative method to synthetic fungicides for controlling the anthracnose pathogen and maintaining the postharvest quality of tomato fruit.