Abstract
Postharvest diseases significantly reduce the shelf-life of harvested fruits/vegetables worldwide. Bacillus spp. are considered to be an eco-friendly and bio-safe alternative to traditional chemical fungicides/bactericides due to their intrinsic ability to induce native anti-stress pathways in plants. This review compiles information from multiple scientific databases (Scopus, ScienceDirect, GoogleScholar, ResearchGate, etc.) using the keywords “postharvest diseases”, “Bacillus”, “Bacillus subtilis”, “biocontrol”, “storage”, “losses”, and “fruits/vegetables”. To date, numerous examples of successful Bacillus spp. application in controlling various postharvest-emerged pathogens of different fruits/vegetables during handling, transportation, and storage have been described in the literature. The mechanism/s of such action is/are still largely unknown; however, it is suggested that they include: i) competition for space/nutrients with pathogens; ii) production of various bio-active substances with antibiotic activity and cell wall-degrading compounds; and iii) induction of systemic resistance. With that, Bacillus efficiency may depend on various factors including strain characteristics (epiphytes or endophytes), application methods (before or after harvest/storage), type of pathogens/hosts, etc. Endophytic B. subtilis-based products can be more effective because they colonize internal plant tissues and are less dependent on external environmental factors while protecting cells inside. Nevertheless, the mechanism/s of Bacillus action on harvested fruits/vegetables is largely unknown and requires further detailed investigations to fully realize their potential in agricultural/food industries.
Highlights
Fresh fruits and vegetables encounter disease between harvest and consumption, resulting in significant food waste and economic losses
Demonstrated the ability of B. subtilis in suppression of brown rot disease caused by Monilinia spp. in peaches governed by fengycin-like LPs
It has been revealed that the strains of B. subtilis APEC170 and Paenibacillus polymyxa APEC136 diminish the symptoms of anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and C. acutatum, and white rot caused by Botryosphaeria dothidea in harvested apples by inhibition of mycelial growth of these pathogens
Summary
Fresh fruits and vegetables encounter disease between harvest and consumption, resulting in significant food waste and economic losses. Biological products based on beneficial strains, such as plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), could be considered as a research-led alternative to synthetic fungicides and/or food preservatives in the control of postharvest diseases These products establish various physiological changes in host plant metabolism, leading to systemic resistance and prolonged shelf-life without causing adverse effects on plants, humans, or the environment [6,7,8]. The application of bacterial antagonists, in particular endophytic strains, either alone or in combination with other natural regulators, up-regulates the defense response in plant tissues of harvested fruits/vegetables during their time in storage This opens a new insight into the development of effective bio-active components to extend crop longevity while maintaining quality and nutrition. Anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides) and stem end rot (Dothiorella gregaria Sacc.)
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