| Sumario: | Reduction of brown rot, caused by Monilinia fructicola, is a major challenge in the
postharvest storage of fresh Japanese plums (Prunus salicina Lindl.), which are highly
perishable. The use of plant extracts with antifungal properties could be a sustainable natural
alternative to polluting chemical fungicides for brown rot control. An extract obtained from
avocado seeds (AVS) was found to completely inhibit the in vitro fungal growth of M.
fructicola. This extract was then incorporated into composite edible coating matrixes based
on hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) or Arabic gum (AG) as hydrocolloids and beeswax
as lipid. Coated fruits were stored for 5 weeks at 1 °C, followed by 3 days at 7 °C and 5 days
of shelf life at 20 °C, simulating cold storage, transportation, and shelf life, respectively. After
cold storage, the HPMC-AVS and AG-AVS coatings reduced disease incidence by 30% with
respect to uncoated control fruit and disease severity by 50 and 62%, respectively. After
shelf life, AG-AVS significantly reduced disease incidence and severity by 13 and 42%,
respectively. The coatings also reduced the fruit respiration rate, preserved fruit firmness and
alleviated chilling injury symptoms. Additionally, the coatings had no impact on the fruit
physicochemical and sensory quality, and AG-AVS improved fruit gloss. These findings show
the potential of composite edible coatings incorporating AVS extract to reduce brown rot and
preserve plum postharvest quality.
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