This study conducted a systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis to quantify the efficacy of essential oils (EOs) and their bioactives in the control of Colletotrichum species in mango, identifying the chemical and biological factors that modulate this effect. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, searches were performed in the Web of Science and Scopus databases. A total of 53 scientific articles were included, from which 68 independent datasets were extracted. A three-level random-effects model and the Ratio of Means (ROM) were used as the effect size metrics. The meta-analysis revealed that botanical treatments demonstrated a high inhibitory trend, although the overall pooled estimate exhibited substantial heterogeneity (65.77% reduction; Log ROM = -1.07; 95% CI: -3.34 to 1.20). Crucially, the subgroup analysis identified consistent and statistically significant inhibition ( p < 0.05) when partitioned by trial environment. After adjusting for influential outliers, the in vivo fruit trials showed a robust reduction of 62.05% ( p < 0.0001), while the in vitro assays yielded a moderate mean reduction of 34.41% ( p < 0.05). The phytochemical constituent Cinnamaldehyde emerged as the most potent and consistent compound ( p = 0.0045). Moderator analysis demonstrated that efficacy follows a non-linear saturation trend regarding dose ( p = 0.897). Notably, control potential was preserved under in vivo conditions, suggesting a multifaceted interaction between botanical compounds and the fruit surface; however, as the primary studies did not report direct markers, host resistance induction remains a potential hypothesis to be validated in future research. Geographic distribution identified Brazil, India, and China as the main global hubs for the development of this technology. Essential oils represent a promising sustainable supplement to synthetic fungicides, with Cinnamaldehyde being the priority chemotype for active coating formulations aimed at food safety and mango export.
Manguana et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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