Phenylpropanoids for the control of fungal diseases of postharvest fruit.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in developing greener and safer substances for the control of postharvest fungal diseases of fruit. Secondary metabolic pathways play an important role in plant defense responses, and the phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway is one of the most important secondary metabolic pathways in plant defense. More and more studies have shown that exogenous phenylpropanoids treatments can inhibit postharvest fungal diseases. On the one hand, these biologically active phenylpropanoids are fungistatic and can act directly on the fungal cells infesting the postharvest fruit to inhibit spore germination and mycelial growth. On the other hand, phenylpropanoids treatment can improve plant resistance. In this review, we summarize recent achievements in the mechanisms and applications of phenylpropanoids, including cinnamic acid, p-coumaric acid and esters, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, and chlorogenic acid, in the inhibition of fungal pathogens and the reduction of postharvest losses. In addition, we propose further research hotspots and development directions based on combining nanomaterials and biotechnology.