Abstract
In this research, the antifungal role of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) on the postharvest pathogens Aspergillus niger and Penicillium italicum growing on fruits and under culture conditions on defined media was investigated. Our results show that H2S, released by sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) effectively reduced the postharvest decay of fruits induced by A. niger and P. italicum. Furthermore, H2S inhibited spore germination, germ tube elongation, mycelial growth, and produced abnormal mycelial contractions when the fungi were grown on defined media in Petri plates. Further studies showed that H2S could cause an increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in A. niger. In accordance with this observation we show that enzyme activities and the expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) genes in A. niger treated with H2S were lower than those in control. Moreover, H2S also significantly inhibited the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Rhizopus oryzae, the human pathogen Candida albicans, and several food-borne bacteria. We also found that short time exposure of H2S showed a microbicidal role rather than just inhibiting the growth of microbes. Taken together, this study suggests the potential value of H2S in reducing postharvest loss and food spoilage caused by microbe propagation.
Highlights
About 20% of harvested fruits and vegetables undergo decay during postharvest storage [1]
We investigated the antifungal effect of H2S on the postharvest pathogens A. niger and P. italicum inoculated on fruits, as well as on the growth of these fungi on Petri dishes with defined media
After infection with A. niger or P. italicum, apples, pears and tomatoes from control condition began to decay at day 3, and kiwifruits, sweet oranges and mandarins at day 5, while fruits from H2S treatment remained decay-free
Summary
About 20% of harvested fruits and vegetables undergo decay during postharvest storage [1]. Considerable postharvest decay is caused by plant fungal pathogens [2]. Decay caused by food-borne bacterial pathogens AR a major concern due to the increasing demands for food safety [6]. Both Salmonella typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus in contaminated food are leading causes of gastroenteritis [7,8]. The application of synthetic chemical as germicides is a primary method to control postharvest decay [9]. Chemical control faces two intractable problems: first, the inevitable development of pathogen resistance; and second, a range of generally used germicides are under review in many countries due to health safety issues [10]. There is a growing need to develop alternative treatments of postharvest disease that are more enduring and safe
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