LAUSR

Mangoes are susceptible to bacterial and fungal contamination during storage and transportation. This study investigated the effectiveness of pectin-based coatings containing oregano essential oil (OEO) to reduce Salmonella enterica contamination and decrease anthracnose disease on whole mangoes. A cocktail of five strains of Salmonella spp. and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides strains was spot inoculated in mangoes to verify the antibacterial and antifungal activity of OEO. The inoculated mangoes were coated with pectin-based coatings containing 0, 0.5, 0.7, and 0.9% OEO. Coated fruits were stored for 11 days at 25 °C and 90% of relative humidity. All treatments with OEO effectively inhibited the growth of Salmonella, causing a reduction of 2.5 CFU/cm2 compared to the control treatment (0% OEO). In addition, coatings effectively inhibited the growth of C. gloeosporioides on the mango surface after 9 days of storage to the same extent as the traditional Prochloraz fungicide. The efficacy of coatings treatments was between 88.06 and 96.68% compared to the control treatment. Sensory analysis showed that the OEO did not affect the quality attributes of coated mango. Results showed the potential benefits of applying the pectin-based coatings with OEO as an alternative to control S. enterica and C. gloeosporioides in whole mangoes.