Pomegranate Peel Extracts as Safe Natural Treatments to Control Plant Diseases and Increase the Shelf-Life and Safety of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Although the Green Revolution was a milestone in agriculture, it was accompanied by intensive use of synthetic pesticides, which has raised serious concerns due to their impact on human and environmental health. This is increasingly stimulating the search for safer and more eco-friendly alternative...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Plants (Basel) Vol. 10; no. 3; p. 453
Main Authors:	Belgacem, Imen, Li Destri Nicosia, Maria G, Pangallo, Sonia, Abdelfattah, Ahmed, Benuzzi, Massimo, Agosteo, Giovanni E, Schena, Leonardo
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Switzerland MDPI 27-02-2021 MDPI AG
Subjects:	coatings food by-products foodborne pathogens polyphenols, punicalagins, plant pathogens pomegranate peel extracts Review shelf-life coatings shelf-life foodborne pathogens pomegranate peel extracts plant resistance antimicrobial activity polyphenols, punicalagins, plant pathogens food by-products
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Summary:	Although the Green Revolution was a milestone in agriculture, it was accompanied by intensive use of synthetic pesticides, which has raised serious concerns due to their impact on human and environmental health. This is increasingly stimulating the search for safer and more eco-friendly alternative means to control plant diseases and prevent food spoilage. Among the proposed alternatives, pomegranate peel extracts (PPEs) are very promising because of their high efficacy. In the present review, we discuss the complex mechanisms of action that include direct antimicrobial activity and induction of resistance in treated plant tissues and highlight the importance of PPE composition in determining their activity. The broad spectrum of activity, wide range of application and high efficiency of PPEs against bacterial, fungal and viral plant pathogens suggest a potential market not only restricted to organic production but also integrated farming systems. Considering that PPEs are non-chemical by-products of the pomegranate industry, they are perceived as safe by the public and may be integrated in circular economy strategies. This will likely encourage agro-pharmaceutical industries to develop commercial formulations and speed up the costly process of registration.
ISSN:	2223-7747 2223-7747
DOI:	10.3390/plants10030453