Abstract
Although ozone (O3) is a well‐known bactericide and fungicide, the required dose of ozone can depend significantly on the targeted pathogens. The present research evaluates the variation in sensibility to ozone of three fungal species from a single fungal group. The three fungal species selected, Venturia inaequalis, Botrytis cinerea, and Neofabreae alba, belong to the Ascomycota group and attack apples. The fungi were exposed to ozone by bubbling directly into the spore solutions (treatment period ranged from 0.5 to 4 min, ozone concentration in inlet gas ranged from 1 to 30 g/m3). The rates of germination were determined, and the level of peroxidation of the lipid membrane was quantified based on the malondialdehyde (MDA) production. The results indicate that ozone effectively reduces spore development and suggest that the fungi differ in sensitivity. To reduce by 50% the spore germination rate of N. alba, B. cinerea, and V. inaequalis requires ozone doses of 0.01, 0.03, and 0.07 mg/ml, respectively. Spore sensitivity seems to be directly linked to spore surface. For all the fungal species, the MDA level and the level of spore inactivation both increase with ozone dose, which confirms that ozone alters the cell membrane.
Highlights
Ozone is a promising alternative to limit microbiological pressure on fruits and vegetables
Ozone gas or ozone dissolved into water inactivates bacteria, fungi, and viruses (Guzel-Seydim, Greene, & Seydim, 2004) and leaves a low remanence in the environment compared with conventional disinfectants, which is one of its main advantages
We tested the inhibition of germination due to exposure to ozone through bubbling in conidial aqueous suspensions of B. cinerea, V. inaequalis, and N. alba
Summary
Ozone is a promising alternative to limit microbiological pressure on fruits and vegetables. The half-life of ozone dissolved in water at 20°C is between 20 and 30 min (Khadre & Yousef, 2001), and it decomposes mainly into nontoxic products, such as oxygen (Sharpe et al, 2009). This strong oxidant is used to disinfect drinking water, industrial wastewater, and food-processing equipment. The efficiency of ozone depends on how it is applied (ozone gas vs ozonated water), the interaction between ozone and the fruit support, and the quantity, type, and development stage of the micro-organism
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