Essential Oils Inhibit Mycelial Growth of Rhizopus stolonifer

Summary Rhizopus rot caused by Rhizopus stolonifer, is considered as a major destructive postharvest disease of stone fruits such as peach that severely decreases the shelf life of stored fruits. The aim of this research was to determine and monitor the antifungal activity of essential oils from three medicinal plants, to control Rhizopus stolonifer on peach fruits and enhance fruit shelf life and storage ability. Essential oils extracted from sage (Salvia officinalis), savory (Satureja hortensis) and zataria or Shiraz thyme (Zataria multiflora). These essential oils were added to Petri dishes containing PDA (potato dextrose agar) by two methods, direct contact and fumigation. Results obviously showed that fumigation with zataria and savory essential oils completely inhibited R. stolonifer growth by volatiles with 24 and 48 µl concentrations. In the case of direct contact, zataria at 360 µ ll –1 had maximum inhibition (96 %) upon mycelial growth of R. stolonifer. The main components of zataria oil were carvacrol (38.50 %), thymol (25.50 %) and p-cymene (13.35 %), and savory oil were carvacrol (38.00 %), p-cymene (32.20 %) and γ-terpinene (21.65 %).