Carboxymethylcellulose coating associated with essential oil can increase papaya shelf life

The use of essential oils (EO) associated with coatings in the post-harvest treatment of papaya is a little studied alternative to avoid post-harvest losses. Therefore, the antifungal activity of Eucalyptus staigeriana, Lippia sidoides and Pimenta pseudocaryophyllus essential oils (EOs) was tested in vitro against Colletotrichum gloesporiodes, the causal agent of anthracnose in papaya. The EO with the highest activity was evaluated regarding its chemical composition, in vivo activity and its effects on papayas post-harvest quality, when associated with a carboxymethylcellulose coating. L. sidoides EO presented the highest in vitro antifungal activity, with thymol as the predominant compound in its composition. In vivo, the fruit treated with CMC associated with L. sidoides EO presented a reduction in disease severity and maintained post-harvest parameters, besides slowing the appearance of rot and shriveling in the fruit on the ninth day of storage, whereas in the control and treatment with only CMC, this behavior occurred on the fifth and seventh days, respectively. Thus, the association of L. sidoides EO with CMC was effective in the rise of papayas shelf life, preserving their post-harvest characteristics for nine days, indicating that this treatment can be considered a viable alternative for the extension of the fruit commercialization period.