Abstract
An alternative to chemical fungicides in post-harvest diseases are the use of biocontrol agents and their extracellular products against phytopathogens. Two relevant agents in post-harvest infections are Thielaviopsis paradoxa and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, causing large economic losses in cacao, pineapple, and avocado during storage. In this work, we evaluated the effect of Wickerhamomyces anomalus, an effective biocontrol agent, against these filamentous fungi, focusing on the production of extracellular enzymes and their effect on fungal growth and germination. Moreover, we evaluated the use of inactivated fungal biomass as an inducer in complete (Potato Dextrose Agar and Yeast Peptone Dextrose) and minimal culture media. The antagonistic effect of W anomalus on the growth of both phytopathogens was also studied. The extracellular enzymes in YPD cultures, using T. paradoxa inactivated biomass as the best inducer, were capable of inhibiting the germination of both phytopathogens. In minimal media, only the production of a 30 kDa glucanase with activity against laminarin was observed. The enzyme was effective against the spore germination of T. paradoxa. In post-harvest crop protection tests, growth inhibition of T. paradoxa was observed using the cell-free enzyme extract, which is a promising system to protect cocoa fruits from T. paradoxa during post-harvest.
Highlights
The protection of post-harvest agricultural products, such as crops, fruits and vegetables, from the attack of phytopathogenic fungi, represents an unsolved problem [1,2]
W. anomalus reduced the growth of C. gloeosporioides by 18.7% ± 3.85, 43.1% ± 2.20, and 51.4% ± 13.2 on PDA, Yeast Peptone Dextrose (YPD), and minimal media (MM), respectively (Figure 1A), in comparison with the controls
We further investigated if the production of chitinase and glucanase followed the same pattern in minimal media (MM) and YPD
Summary
The protection of post-harvest agricultural products, such as crops, fruits and vegetables, from the attack of phytopathogenic fungi, represents an unsolved problem [1,2]. Infections caused by fungal phytopathogens account for 20–25% of the losses in harvested fruits and vegetables, with a strong impact on product quality [3]. Some fungicides alter the cell membrane of microorganisms and its biological functions; other processes affected by these compounds are the synthesis of nucleic acids and proteins, signal transduction, cell division, and respiration [5]. Some of the most important concerns about the use of these antifungal compounds are the negative environmental impacts, the potential carcinogenic effect, the harmful influence on other beneficial microorganisms, and the outbreak of resistance to chemicals in phytopathogenic agents [4].
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