Sustainable botanical products for safe post-harvest management of perishable produce: A review

Purpose: The objective of this review is to study the effect of plantbased products on postharvest management of the horticultural crops. Today when the horticulture crops are loaded with pesticides, the produce does not reach the consumer in a fresh and healthy form, it becomes imperative to look for alternative products which are safe, nontoxic, environmentfriendly and does not disturb the eco rhythm. Findings: Plantbased products can be utilized at postharvest stage washing agents, botanical sanitizers, edible coatings (protein, lipid and starchbased, antimicrobial agents, cushioning materials during transport, preservatives and as control measure for storage diseases as various bioactive constituents. To minimize dependence on synthetic pesticides, the use of plantbased antimicrobial substances which includes essential oils, glucosinolates, volatile compounds, acetaldehydes and jasmonates at various stages of plant growth may help in the management of crops, phytopathogens and pests in a very effective manner and will provide an alternative method for sustainable agriculture and opens up a new dimension of research for the scientists. Limitations: The author has used all the available resources but some excellent literature is still limited for including in the study due to nonavailability to resources. Directions for future research: Plantbased products and botanical extracts opens up a new dimension of research. Scientists can easily utilize these for plant protection, cushioning, disease management during storage, extending the shelflife. Scientists can standardize the edible coatings for various fruits, antibacterial, nanoemulsions based delivery of edible coating materials and aromatic extracts for disease management.