Protection of Citrus Fruits from Postharvest Infection with Penicillium digitatum and Degradation of Patulin by Biocontrol Yeast Clavispora lusitaniae 146.

Mariana Andrea Díaz,Mohammad Alhussein,Fabricio Fabián Soliz Santander,María Florencia Perez,Julián Rafael Dib,Martina María Pereyra,Josefina María Córdoba,Petr Karlovsky

doi:10.3390/microorganisms8101477

Abstract

Fungal rots are one of the main causes of large economic losses and deterioration in the quality and nutrient composition of fruits during the postharvest stage. The yeast Clavispora lusitaniae 146 has previously been shown to efficiently protect lemons from green mold caused by Penicillium digitatum. In this work, the effect of yeast concentration and exposure time on biocontrol efficiency was assessed; the protection of various citrus fruits against P. digitatum by C. lusitaniae 146 was evaluated; the ability of strain 146 to degrade mycotoxin patulin was tested; and the effect of the treatment on the sensory properties of fruits was determined. An efficient protection of lemons was achieved after minimum exposure to a relatively low yeast cell concentration. Apart from lemons, the yeast prevented green mold in grapefruits, mandarins, oranges, and tangerines, implying that it can be used as a broad-range biocontrol agent in citrus. The ability to degrade patulin indicated that strain 146 may be suitable for the control of further Penicillium species. Yeast treatment did not alter the sensory perception of the aroma of fruits. These results corroborate the potential of C. lusitaniae 146 for the control of postharvest diseases of citrus fruits and indicate its suitability for industrial-scale fruit processing.

Highlights

Fungal diseases are one of the main causes of large economic losses and deterioration in the quality and nutrient composition of fruits during the postharvest stage
The ability of strain 146 to prevent infection of wounds in lemons by P. digitatum remained high up to 2.5% of the initial Myeicarsootrcgoanniscmesn2t0r2a0t,i8o,nx FwOhRilPeEEthReRlEeVvIeElWs of control varied between 83% and 98%
The results showed that reducing the concentration of C. lusitaniae 146 cells applied to wounded lemons up to 2.5% of the initial cell density did not affect the efficiency of the yeast against P. digitatum

Summary

Introduction

Fungal diseases are one of the main causes of large economic losses and deterioration in the quality and nutrient composition of fruits during the postharvest stage. They contribute significantly to the reduction of the shelf life of products during storage, contaminate fruits with mycotoxins, and reduce their market value. The major postharvest pathogen of citrus fruits is Penicillium digitatum, the cause of green mold [10]. Recent work highlighted the use of the killer yeast Clavispora lusitaniae strain 146 as a promising biocontrol agent against P. digitatum. Strain 146 has the ability to maintain protection during an entire harvest period of lemons along with the ability to colonize wounds in lemons at both low and room temperatures [27,28]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion