*2.7. Plant Stress Indicators*

In breaker and red fruits, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) fluctuated among the treatments without a specific trend (Figure 7A,B). In breaker stage fruits, lipid peroxidation as assessed in terms of malondialdehyde (MDA) content, was not changed in EO-treated fruits and/or during storage duration of 14 days (Figure 7C). However, in red tomatoes MDA decreased at 50 μL L−<sup>1</sup> of EO application after 7 and 14 days of storage (Figure 7D).

#### *2.8. Sensory Evaluation*

Sensory evaluation revealed significant changes between treatments that the jurors were able to detect and marked as 86% and 50% for breaker and red tomatoes. In breaker tomatoes, jurors preferred un-treated fruit with 57% and followed by 50 μL L−<sup>1</sup> treated fruits with 43%. In the case of the red tomatoes, jurors preferred low EO-treated fruits and then control fruits with 79% and 21%, respectively. Interestingly, no preference was

noticed for high-EO treated tomatoes, revealing the lowest sensory scores (Table 2). Those who preferred low EO-treated fruits did so due to the improved appearance and texture, which was comparable to that of the untreated fruits (Table 2). In red tomatoes, taste panelists preferred fruit subjected to low-level EO-enrichment (50 μL L<sup>−</sup>1), and this effect was mirrored by the increased scores in appearance, color, aroma, texture, and sweetness.

**Figure 6.** Impacts of sage essential oil (EO) on total phenolics (GAE μmol g<sup>−</sup>1) and antioxidant activity (mg Trolox g−1) in tomato fruit at breaker (**A**,**C**,**E**) and red (**B**,**D**,**F**) ripening stage, exposed to ambient air (control) or EO (50 or 500 μL L<sup>−</sup>1) for 2, 7, and 14 days (sustain effect—S) or up to 7 days and then transferred to ambient air for an additional 7 days (memory effect—M). Fruit were maintained throughout at 11 ◦C and 90% RH. Values represent mean (±SE) of measurements made on eight independent fruit per treatment and storage period. Means followed by different Latin letters significantly differ according to Duncan's MRT (*p* = 0.05).

**Figure 7.** Impacts of sage essential oil (EO) on the fruit content of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in tomato fruit at breaker (**A**,**C**) and red (**B**,**D**) ripening stage, exposed to ambient air (control) or EO (50 or 500 μL L<sup>−</sup>1) for 2, 7, and 14 days (sustain effect—S) or up to 7 days and then transferred to ambient air for an additional 7 days (memory effect—M). Fruits were maintained throughout at 11 ◦C and 90% RH. Values represent mean (±SE) of measurements made on eight independent fruit per treatment and storage period. Means followed by different Latin letters significantly differ according to Duncan's MRT (*p* = 0.05).

**Table 2.** Quantitative analysis of the impacts of sage essential oil (EO) on sensory attributes of tomato fruit at breaker and red ripening stage, exposed to ambient air (control) or EO (50 or 500 μL L<sup>−</sup>1) for 14 days. Fruits were maintained throughout at 11 ◦C and 90% RH. Values represent mean (±SE) of assessments made by 14 panelists per treatment.


In each row, mean values in percentage followed by the same small (breaker stage) are not significantly different, *p* ≤ 0.05.
