UV-C irradiation and hermetic storage modulate essential oil profiles and antifungal bioactivity of Apiaceae fruits during long-term storage

Long-term storage can erode the value of Apiaceae fruits through volatilization and compositional drift of their essential oils (EOs). This study evaluated UV-C pre-treatment (25 min) and packaging type as practical approaches to preserve EO quality in fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), anise (Pimpinella anisum), cumin (Cuminum cyminum), and caraway (Carum carvi) fruits stored for 12 months in four packages (jute, polyethylene 120 µm, polyethylene 150 µm, and an antifungal film). EO profiles were monitored by GC-MS at 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months; antifungal efficacy was assessed against Rhizoctonia solani, Alternaria solani, and Fusarium oxysporum; and key EO constituents were docked against cutinase (PDB: 1xzb). At baseline, fennel EO was dominated by estragole (49.97% in control; 57.13% after UV-C) and anethole (20.02%); anise EO was rich in anethole (63.79% in control; 64.93% after UV-C); cumin EO was characterized by γ-terpinen-7-al (21.56% in control; 25.89% after UV-C) and cuminaldehyde (19.62% in control; 20.33% after UV-C); and caraway EO contained high levels of carvone (41.60% in control; 47.69% after UV-C) and D-limonene (24.36% in control; 33.11% after UV-C). After 12 months, hermetic packaging (150 µm and antifungal film) better preserved the dominant chemical signature of each EO under UV-C, with estragole at 85.16% in fennel (antifungal), anethole at 72.63% in anise (150 µm), cuminaldehyde at 37.46% in cumin (antifungal), and carvone at 63.14% in caraway (antifungal). Overall, combining UV-C with hermetic/antifungal packaging provides an effective strategy to maintain Apiaceae EO composition and bioactivity during extended storage.