Extracts from wild edible herbs for controlling postharvest rots of fruit and vegetables

The use of natural compounds with antimicrobial activity may be a viable alternative to the use of synthetic fungicides to control pathogens attacking fresh fruit and vegetables during postharvest storage. This paper reports results on the in vitro and in vivo antifungal activity of total and fractionated phenolic extracts obtained from wild edible herbs (Borago officinalis, Orobanche crenata, Plantago coronopus, P. lanceolata, Sanguisorba minor, Silene vulgaris, Sonchus asper, S. oleraceus, and Taraxacum officinale) against some of the most important postharvest diseases: gray mold (Botrytis cinerea), brown rot (Monilinia laxa), blue mold (Penicillium italicum, P. expansum), green mold (P. digitatum), and black mold (Aspergillus carbonarius, A. niger). The extracts obtained from S. minor and O. crenata completely inhibited conidial germination of M. laxa, P. digitatum, P. italicum, and A. niger and greatly reduced that of B. cinerea and P. expansum. The same extracts were tested in vivo on stone fruits (apricots, nectarines, and sweet cherries), oranges, and grapes with good results. Some phenolic compounds present in the extracts were identified as potential active components.