Antifungal activity of Piper betle L. leaf essential oil against Botrytis cinerea and the application of a biodegradable starch-based coating system for strawberry preservation
Vol. 135 No. 1C (2026), Original Article
Vol. 135 No. 1C (2026)

Antifungal activity of Piper betle L. leaf essential oil against Botrytis cinerea and the application of a biodegradable starch-based coating system for strawberry preservation

Original Article
https://doi.org/10.26459/hueunijns.v135i1C.8491
Published 2026-06-29
Mac Thi Ha Thanh
The University of Danang - University of Science and Technology, Da Nang, Vietnam
Thai Bich Van Ngo
The University of Danang - University of Science and Technology, Da Nang, Vietnam
Dang Quang Anh
The University of Danang - University of Science and Technology, Da Nang, Vietnam
Ngoc Hoan Nguyen
The University of Danang - University of Science and Technology, Da Nang, Vietnam
Ngoc Yen Binh Dao
The University of Danang - University of Science and Technology, Da Nang, Vietnam
Thi Chau Bui
The University of Danang - University of Science and Technology, Da Nang, Vietnam
Nguyen Nhu Quynh Ngo
The University of Danang - University of Science and Technology, Da Nang, Vietnam
Vo Van Quoc Bao*
University of Agriculture and Forestry, Hue University, Hue, Vietnam
PDF (Vietnamese)

Keywords

tinh dầu lá Trầu không
Botrytis cinerea
trái Dâu tây
màng bao tinh bột
bảo quản sau thu hoạch Betel leaf essential oil
Botrytis cinerea
strawberry
starch coating
postharvest preservation

How to Cite

1.
Mạc THT, Ngô TBV, Đặng QA, Nguyễn NH, Đào NYB, Bùi TC, Ngô NNQ, Võ VQB. Antifungal activity of Piper betle L. leaf essential oil against Botrytis cinerea and the application of a biodegradable starch-based coating system for strawberry preservation. hueuni-jns [Internet]. 2026Jun.29 [cited 2026Oct.16];135(1C):103-17. Available from: https://jos.hueuni.edu.vn/index.php/hujos-ns/article/view/8491
ACM ACS APA ABNT Chicago Harvard IEEE MLA Turabian Vancouver

Download Citation

Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS) BibTeX
Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the antifungal efficacy of Betel leaf essential oil against Botrytis cinerea and to investigate its potential application in postharvest preservation of strawberries through starch-based edible coatings enriched with essential oil. The results demonstrated that Betel leaf essential oil exhibited pronounced antifungal activity, as evidenced by an inhibition zone diameter of 20.0 ± 1.8 mm, a minimum inhibitory concentration of 1/8% and a minimum fungicidal concentration of 0.5%. In the preservation experiments, strawberries were coated with the starch-based films containing essential oil at concentrations of 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5% and stored at ambient temperature for 8 days. By day 8, the treatments containing 1.0 and 1.5% essential oil showed significantly lower mould incidence than the control (7.1 and 6.4 vs. 46.5%), a weight loss reduction to 11.23 and 10.27% (control 17.61%), while fruit firmness and total soluble solids were maintained at 13.85–14.23 N and 10.01–10.31%, respectively. The findings revealed that the bioactive starch-based coat containing 1.0–1.5% essential oil established a dual-barrier preservation system, effectively suppressing mould development and therefore providing better preservation than the control and the starch-based coat without essential oil. In terms of microbiological, physicochemical, sensory, and surface quality attributes, the starch-based film containing 1.0% Betel leaf essential oil represented the optimal formulation for comprehensive postharvest preservation of strawberries.

https://doi.org/10.26459/hueunijns.v135i1C.8491
PDF (Vietnamese)

References

  1. Petrasch S, Knapp SJ, van Kan JAL, Blanco-Ulate B. Grey mould of strawberry, a devastating disease caused by the ubiquitous necrotrophic fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea. Molecular Plant Pathology. 2019;20(6):877-92.
  2. Mohammadi L, Ramezanian A, Tanaka F, Tanaka F. Impact of Aloe vera gel coating enriched with basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) essential oil on postharvest quality of strawberry fruit. Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization. 2021;15(1):353-62.
  3. Youssef K, Ippolito A, Roberto SR. Editorial: Post-harvest Diseases of Fruit and Vegetable: Methods and Mechanisms of Action. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2022;Volume 13 – 2022.
  4. Wang X, Shen Y, Thakur K, Han J, Zhang JG, Hu F, et al. Antibacterial Activity and Mechanism of Ginger Essential Oil against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Molecules . 2020;25(17):3955.
  5. Aguilar-Veloz LM, Calderón-Santoyo M, Vázquez González Y, Ragazzo-Sánchez JA. Application of essential oils and polyphenols as natural antimicrobial agents in postharvest treatments: Advances and challenges. Food Science & Nutrition. 2020;8(6):2555-68.
  6. El Khetabi A, Lahlali R, Ezrari S, Radouane N, Lyousfi N, Banani H, et al. Role of plant extracts and essential oils in fighting against postharvest fruit pathogens and extending fruit shelf life: A review. Trends in Food Science & Technology. 2022;120:402-17.
  7. Yousuf B, Wu S, Siddiqui MW. Incorporating essential oils or compounds derived thereof into edible coatings: Effect on quality and shelf life of fresh/fresh-cut produce. Trends in Food Science & Technology. 2021;108:245-57.
  8. Salehi F. Edible Coating of Fruits and Vegetables Using Natural Gums: A Review. International Journal of Fruit Science. 2020;20(sup2):S570-S89.
  9. Nair MS, Tomar M, Punia S, Kukula-Koch W, Kumar M. Enhancing the functionality of chitosan- and alginate-based active edible coatings/films for the preservation of fruits and vegetables: A review. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 2020;164:304-20.
  10. Thakur R, Pristijono P, Bowyer M, Singh SP, Scarlett CJ, Stathopoulos CE, et al. A starch edible surface coating delays banana fruit ripening. LWT. 2019;100:341-7
  11. Prakash A, Baskaran R, Paramasivam N, Vadivel V. Essential oil based nanoemulsions to improve the microbial quality of minimally processed fruits and vegetables: A review. Food Research International. 2018;111:509-23.
  12. Karak S, Acharya J, Begum S, Mazumdar I, Kundu R, De B. Essential oil of Piper betle L. leaves: Chemical composition, anti-acetylcholinesterase, anti-β-glucuronidase and cytotoxic properties. Journal of Applied Research on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants. 2018;10:85-92.
  13. Tran TTT, Nguyen ATV, Le DNT, Nguyen VDH, Ly, Trinh TP. Production of essential oils and sugar-rich hydrolysate from betel leaves (Piper betle). The Journal of Agriculture and Development. 2024;23(1):64-75.
  14. Mutlu-Ingok A, Devecioglu D, Dikmetas DN, Karbancioglu-Guler F, Capanoglu E. Antibacterial, antifungal, antimycotoxigenic, and antioxidant activities of essential oils: An updated review. Molecules. 2020;25(20):4711.
  15. Olea AF, Bravo A, Martínez R, Thomas M, Sedan C, Espinoza L, et al. Antifungal Activity of Eugenol Derivatives against Botrytis Cinerea. Molecules . 2019;24(7):1239.
  16. Amalraj A, Haponiuk JT, Thomas S, Gopi S. Preparation, characterization and antimicrobial activity of polyvinyl alcohol/gum arabic/chitosan composite films incorporated with black pepper essential oil and ginger essential oil. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 2020;151:366-75.
  17. Ju J, Chen X, Xie Y, Yu H, Guo Y, Cheng Y, et al. Application of essential oil as a sustained release preparation in food packaging. Trends in Food Science & Technology. 2019;92:22-32.
  18. Ju J, Xie Y, Guo Y, Cheng Y, Qian H, Yao W. Application of edible coating with essential oil in food preservation. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 2019;59(15):2467-80.
  19. Pinto E, Vale-Silva L, Cavaleiro C, Salgueiro L. Antifungal activity of the clove essential oil from Syzygium aromaticum on Candida, Aspergillus and dermatophyte species. Journal of Medical Microbiology. 2009;58(11):1454-62.
  20. Shao X, Wang H, Xu F, Cheng S. Effects and possible mechanisms of tea tree oil vapor treatment on the main disease in postharvest strawberry fruit. Postharvest Biology and Technology. 2013;77:94-101
  21. Javanmardi Z, Koushesh Saba M, Nourbakhsh H, Amini J. Efficiency of nanoemulsion of essential oils to control Botrytis cinerea on strawberry surface and prolong fruit shelf life. International Journal of Food Microbiology. 2023;384:109979.
  22. Vitti A, Coviello L, Triunfo M, Guarnieri A, Scieuzo C, Salvia R et al. In vitro antifungal activity and in vivo edible coating efficacy of insect-derived chitosan against Botrytis cinerea in strawberry. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 2024;279:135158.
  23. Firdaus RR, Mardiana M, Tubagus R. Aplikasi Edible Coating Berbahan Dasar Pati Kulit Kentang (Solanum tuberosum L.) pada Buah Stroberi (Fragaria x anannasa). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 2024;1(1):1-10.
  24. Moghadas HC, Chauhan R, Smith JS. Application of Plant Oils as Functional Additives in Edible Films and Coatings for Food Packaging: A Review. Foods . 2024;13(7):997
  25. Taban A, Haghighi TM, Mousavi SS, Sadeghi H. Are edible coatings (with or without essential oil/extract) game changers for maintaining the postharvest quality of strawberries? A meta-analysis. Postharvest Biology and Technology. 2024;216:113082.
  26. Werrie P-Y, Durenne B, Delaplace P, Fauconnier M-L. Phytotoxicity of Essential Oils: Opportunities and Constraints for the Development of Biopesticides. A Review. Foods. 2020;9(9):1291.
  27. De Bruno A, Gattuso A, Ritorto D, Piscopo A, Poiana M. Effect of Edible Coating Enriched with Natural Antioxidant Extract and Bergamot Essential Oil on the Shelf Life of Strawberries. Foods. 2023;12(3):488.
  28. Oliveira Filho JG de, da Cruz Silva G, de Aguiar AC, Cipriano L, de Azeredo HMC, Bogusz Junior S, et al. Chemical composition and antifungal activity of essential oils and their combinations against Botrytis cinerea in strawberries. Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization. 2021;15(2): 1815-25.
  29. Yan J, Wu H, Chen K, Feng J, Zhang Y. Antifungal Activities and Mode of Action of Cymbopogon citratus, Thymus vulgraris, and Origanum heracleoticum Essential Oil Vapors against Botrytis cinerea and Their Potential Application to Control Postharvest Strawberry Gray Mold. Foods . 2021;10(10):2451.
  30. Martínez K, Ortiz M, Albis A, Castañeda CGG, Valencia ME, Tovar CDG. The effect of edible chitosan coatings incorporated with Thymus capitatus essential oil on the shelf-life of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) during cold storage. Biomolecules. 2018;8(4):155.
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Copyright (c) 2026 Array