Fungi Associated with Avocado (Persea Americana) Post-harvest Fruit Bio Degeneration: Occurrence, in Vitro Susceptibility to Leaf Extracts of Aloe Vera, Neem and Pear Seed Oil and Attendant Effects of the Fungi on Nutritional Composition of the Pear Fruit
Abstract:
Wounds have been reported to be the major pre-disposing factor of fruits and vegetables to both transit and stor age microbial attack. The variation in fungal loads of avocado fruits observed in this study can be adduced to the differences in the level of post-harvest sanitation. Fungal isolates from rotten avocado fruits in Ado Ekiti were Col letotrichum acutatum, Cercospora purpurea, Sphaceloma persea, Botryosphaeria dothiorella, Pestalotiopsis guip inii, Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus nigricans. The study revealed antifungal effects of Aloe vera, neem and pear seed (oil extracts) at different concentrations on fungal isolates from avocado. This study also revealed that neem oil extract was the most inhibitive on the fungal isolates, this was followed by Aloe vera oil extract and pear seed extract at different concentrations. Higher concentrations supported higher antifungal effects of all the oil extracts. All the tested isolates were found to be pathogenic on the avocado fruits. Pestalotiopsis guipinii was found to be most pathogenic with diameter of the spoiled area of 44 mm while Sphaceloma persea recorded 23.00 mm. The results of the study suggest the need for developing appropriate strategy to control prevalent post-harvest fungal diseases of avocado fruits.
