Hexanal is a naturally occurring volatile C-6 aldehyde formed
via the lipoxygenase pathway in plants and is a precursor to
the formation of alcohols and esters that operate in production
of aroma (Hildebrand, 1989). The pathway operates when
the plant is wounded and could be important for its defense
against natural enemies such as decay-causing fungi. The related
volatile, (E)-2-hexenal, was first used in postharvest studies
for control of B. cinerea (Archbold et al., 1999; Fallik et al.,
1998; Hamilton-Kemp et al., 1992).