ABSTRACT
Postharvest diseases are responsible for consistent losses of fresh fruits and vegetables, with up to 50%–60% of fresh produce discarded because of postharvest spoilage. Pathogenic microorganisms, such as fungi, mainly belonging to the genera Alternaria, Aspergillus, Botrytis, Fusarium, Monilinia, Penicillium, Rhizopus, are the main causal agents of postharvest deterioration (Snowdon 1990). Some of these pathogenic fungi such as Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus spp., Fusarium spp. and Penicillium expansum also produce toxic metabolites known as mycotoxins.
