The Antifungal Effect of Gaseous Ozone on Lasiodiplodia theobromae Causing Stem-End Rot in ‘Keitt’ Mangoes

This study evaluated the antifungal activity of ozone (O(3)) against stem-end rot of mango fruit (cv. Keitt). Mango fruit were exposed to gaseous ozone (0.25 mg/L) for 24 or 36 h during cold storage, and control fruit were untreated. Experimental fruit were stored at 90% relative humidity and 10 ± 0.5 °C for three weeks and ripened at ambient temperature for one week. Ozone treatment (24 h) inhibited the mycelial growth of Lasiodiplodia theobromae by 60.35%. At day twenty-eight of storage, fruit treated with O(3) for 36 h had low mass loss (%) and high firmness compared to the untreated control fruit. Treating mango fruit with O(3) (36 h) maintained the color and concentration of total flavonoids throughout the storage time. At the end of storage, peroxidase activity under the O(3) 24 h treatment was significantly higher (0.91 U min(−1) g(−1) DM) compared to O(3) (36 h) and control, which, respectively, had 0.80 U min(−1) g(−1) DM and 0.78 U min(−1) g(−1) DM. Gaseous ozone for 24 h is recommended as a cost-effective treatment for controlling stem-end rot. These findings suggest that gaseous ozone effectively controlled stem-end rot and enhanced the postharvest quality of mango fruit.