Control of postharvest green and blue molds of citrus fruit by application of sodium dehydroacetate

Sodium dehydroacetate (SD), a common food preservative, was evaluated against Penicillium digitatum and Penicillium italicum through in vivo and in vitro experiments. SD dramatically inhibited the mycelial growths of P. digitatum and P. italicum, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and a minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of 0.20 and 0.40 g/L, respectively. In vivo tests demonstrated that various SD concentrations (2x, 4x, and 8x MFC) significantly reduced the incidence of green and blue molds up to 3 and 5 d at 25 +/- 2 degrees C, respectively. As storage time was prolonged, 4x and 8x MFC treatments still drastically inhibited fruit decay caused by P. digitatum and P. italicum. Meanwhile, SD significantly reduced the weight loss rate of citrus fruit during storage, but had minor effect on coloration index, firmness, total soluble solids, pH, and vitamin C content. These data suggested that SD can be used as a good alternative to conventional fungicides in controlling green and blue molds in citrus fruit. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.