Phytochemical Composition and Biocontrol Potential of Chromolaena odorata Extracts against Brown Rot in Amber Sweet Orange Fruits During Ambient Storage

Background and Objective: Brown rot, a significant postharvest disease in tropical fruits, is increasingly attributed to the fungus Lasiodiplodia sp., which is notorious for causing fruit decay in citrus. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the phytochemical compositions and biofungicide efficacy of Chromolaena odorata in controlling brown rot of orange fruits. Materials and Methods:Orange fruits infected with Lasiodiplodia were dipped into several concentrations of C. odorata extracts and disease severity was determined during ambient storage. Data collected on disease severity were subjected to Analysis of Variance and means of significant treatments were separated using Tukey’s Test at p<0.05. Results: Among the tested concentrations, only 10% of C. odorata extracts proved effective against the brown rot pathogen, with none of the fruit showing any sign of infection by day 30, while n-Hexadecanoic acid, Benzaldehyde 4-ethyl-, Hexanoic acid, 2, 3-Butanediol and Oleic acid occurred as the most abundant components in the extract. Conclusion: The findings of this study revealed that the aqueous extracts of C. odorata could be explored as natural, safe bio fungicide in citrus fruit preservation.