Decay Fungi Research Articles

Moisture Dynamics of Wood-Based Panels and Wood Fibre Insulation Materials.

Moisture performance is an important factor determining the resistance of wood-based building materials against fungal decay. Understanding how material porosity and chemistry affect moisture performance is necessary for their efficient use, as well as for product optimisation. In this study, three complementary techniques (X-ray computed tomography, infrared and low-field NMR spectroscopy) are applied to elucidate the influence of additives, manufacturing process and material structure on the liquid water absorption and desorption behaviour of a selection of wood-based panels, thermally modified wood and wood fibre insulation materials. Hydrophobic properties achieved by thermal treatment or hydrophobic additives such as paraffin and bitumen, had a major influence on water absorption and desorption rates. When hydrophobic additives did not play a role, pore distributions and manufacturing process had a decisive influence on the amount and rate of absorption and desorption. In that case, a higher porosity resulted in a higher water absorption rate. Our results show that there is a clear potential for tailoring materials towards specific moisture performance by better understanding the influence of different material characteristics. This is useful both for achieving desired moisture buffering as well as to increase service life of wood-based materials. From a sustainability perspective, fit-for-purpose moisture performance is often easier to achieve and preferred than wood protection by biocide preservative treatments.

Postharvest High-CO2 Treatments on the Quality of Soft Fruit Berries: An Integrated Transcriptomic, Proteomic, and Metabolomic Approach.

Soft fruits are appreciated for their taste qualities and for being a source of health-promoting compounds. However, their postharvest is affected by their high respiratory rates and susceptibility to fungal decay. Our aim here is to provide a perspective on the application of short-term high-CO2 treatments at a low temperature to maintain the postharvest quality of soft fruits. This work also suggests using a multi-omics approach to better understand the role of the cell wall and phenolic compounds in maintaining quality. Finally, the contribution of high-throughput transcriptomic technologies to understand the mechanisms modulated by the short-term gaseous treatments is also highlighted.

The antifungal mechanisms of plant volatile compound 1-octanol against Aspergillus flavus growth.

The exploitation of active ingredients from plant volatile organic compounds as natural gaseous fungicides shows remarkable potential for controlling fungal decay in postharvest agroproducts. Although 1-octanol is a common component of cereal volatiles, its antifungal potency against spoilage fungi in postharvest grains remains unclear. In this study, we studied the effectiveness of 1-octanol against Aspergillus flavus growth in postharvest grains and its mechanisms of action. 1-Octanol vapor and liquid contact dose-dependently inhibited A. flavus spore germination and mycelial growth at a low concentration. The simulated storage experiment demonstrated that 300 μL/L of 1-octanol vapor completely controlled A. flavus growth in wheat, corn, and paddy grains with 20% moisture content. 1-Octanol treatment irreversibly damaged the conidial and mycelial morphology of A. flavus and caused electrolyte leakage due to reduced plasma membrane integrity. It induced apoptosis along with morphological abnormalities, phosphatidylserine externalization, mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization, intracellular reactive oxygen species accumulation, and DNA fragmentation in A. flavus cells. Metabolomic analysis revealed that 1-octanol treatment disrupted the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, ATP-binding cassette transporters, amino acid metabolism, and glycerophospholipid metabolism. This study demonstrated the promising application potential of 1-octanol as a biofumigant for preventing fungal spoilage of postharvest cereal grains. KEY POINTS: • (1) 1-Octanol inhibits Aspergillus flavus growth in the vapor phase and liquid contact; • (2) 1-Octanol damages membrane integrity and induces apoptosis of A. flavus; • (3) Metabolomic changes in A. flavus mycelia were analyzed after 1-octanol treatment.

Which Is the Best Substrate to Regenerate? A Comparative Pot Experiment for Tree Seedling Growth on Decayed Wood and in Soil

Dead wood is an important microsite for seedling regeneration in forest ecosystems. Although recent studies have found important associations between fungal wood decay type (white rot and brown rot) and both density and species composition of regenerating seedlings, its abiotic and biotic mechanisms are unknown. In the present study, pot experiments were conducted with the seedlings of two ectomycorrhizal tree species (Abies veitchii and Betula ermanii) and two arbuscular mycorrhizal tree species (Chamaecyparis obtusa and Cryptomeria japonica) to evaluate their growth using three substrates: brown rot wood, white rot wood, and soil. Results showed that the shoot growth of B. ermanii grown in white rot wood was greater than in other substrates, but this effect disappeared in sterilized substrates, suggesting some biotic positive effects occur in white rot wood. The seedling weights of Cr. japonica and Ch. obtusa were found to be greater in soil than in wood, and this may be partly attributable to the high mycorrhizal rate of their roots in soil. Colonization of arbuscular and ectomycorrhizal fungi was restricted to the seedlings in unsterilized soil. These results demonstrate the importance of the biological mechanisms affecting seedlings’ preferences for a variety of regeneration microsites and illustrate the need for future experiments to include larger sets of seedling species.

Phytochemical Analysis and Study of Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Two Parts of Cupressus arizonica Essential Oils

The present work aimed to determine the difference in the chemical composition of essential oils isolated from two parts of Cupressus arizonica and to evaluate their in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant effects. The yields of the essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation from the leaves and cones were 0.85% and 1.29%, respectively. The chemical analysis of the constituents of the two essential oils of Cupressus arizonica was carried out by using the GC and GC/MS techniques. The results of this analysis show that the leaves are dominated by cis-muurola-4 (14), 5-diene (21.27%), umbellulone (19.88%), α-pinene (9.39%), and α-muurolene (7.87%7); on the other hand, the cones are rich in α-pinene (51.07%) accompanied by other variable content constituents, myrcene (17.92%), limonene (9.66%), β-pinene (4.92%), meta-cymenene (2.6%), and α-terpineol (2.38%). The antimicrobial activity against four bacterial strains, four wood decay fungi, and three mould strains were determined using the agar-agar dispersion method. The studied essential oils exhibited moderate antimicrobial properties, which demonstrates the sensibility of all strains tested with the exception of wood rot fungi to which they do not have activity against all concentrations tested. The dosage of antioxidant activity was evaluated using DPPH scavenging and ferric ion reducing power (FRAP). The results indicate that the essential oils from cones of Cupressus arizonica possess a strong antioxidant activity (lower IC50) IC50 = 0.098 ± 0.008/EC50 = 0.646 ± 0.02) in comparison with those from the leaves (IC50 = 5.297 ± 0.09/EC50 = 2.335 ± 0.36). The results suggest that both essential oils could be used as a source of treatment for bacterial infections and also as natural antioxidant substances.

Properties Enhancement of Oil Palm Trunk Plywood against Decay and Termite for Marine Applications.

Oil palm trunk (OPT) veneers have the potential to be used in the production of plywood for marine applications. However, OPT is not resistant to fungal decay and termites, limiting its use in the production of marine plywood. As a result, in this study, phenolic resin treatment was used to improve the biological durability of OPT and produce marine grade equivalent (MGE) plywood. The OPT veneer was treated with medium molecular weight phenol formaldehyde (MmwPF) resin. The results showed that MmwPF resin with a solid content of 30% resulted in higher weight percent gain and polymer retention. Veneers treated with 30% MmwPF resin were then pressed for more than 10 min at temperatures above 140 °C. Dimensional stability, shear strength, bending strength, fungal decay resistance, and termite resistance were all tested on the plywood produced. The results of this study revealed that MGE plywood has satisfactory bonding quality and excellent biological durability. Good bending strength was recorded for the MGE plywood with modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity ranged between 31.03 and 38.85 MPa and 4110 and 5120 MPa, respectively. Rubberwood, as a reference sample in this study, is not durable (Class 5) against white rot fungi and is moderately durable (Class III) against subterranean termite attacks. Interestingly, MGE plywood produced in this study was found very durable (Class 1) against white rot fungi. It is also durable (Class II) and very durable (Class I) against termite attacks, depending on the pressing parameters employed. Based on their outstanding bonding quality, bending strength, and biological durability, the study confirmed the feasibility of OPT plywood for marine applications.

Experimental investigation on mechanical properties of acetylated birch plywood and its angle-dependence

There is an increasing demand for engineered wood products (EWPs) due to the flourish of modern timber structures during recent years. However, the durability-related issues are still unignorable limitations when applying timber to outdoor structures. Therefore, treatment measures are still needed to enhance the durability of timber. The acetylation process, which involves the reaction between acetic anhydride and wood, has been widely studied as a wood modification method during the past decades. Several experimental studies have proven acetylation to effectively reduce wood's hygroscopicity while improving its dimensional stability and fungal decay resistance. For load-bearing timber structures, especially those in the outdoor environment, the combination of acetylation and EWPs gives the possibility to manufacture more durable and stable timber elements in the context of dimensions and mechanical properties. This study concerns the mechanical and elastic properties of acetylated birch plywood. More specifically, tensile, compressive, shear and bending tests were conducted under three different load-to-face grain angles, namely from 0° (parallel), 22.5°, to 45°. The test results were thereafter compared with ordinary unmodified birch plywood concerning stress–strain relationships, failure modes, strength, and elastic properties.

Development of Edible Coating from Gelatin Composites with the Addition of Black Tea Extract (Camellia sinensis) on Minimally Processed Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus).

The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of composite fish gelatin–chitosan edible coatings enriched with black tea extract on the physical, chemical, and fungal decay properties of minimally processed watermelons stored at ±4 °C for 13 days. In this study, tuna skin gelatin was extracted and used to prepare edible coating solutions which comprised 4% gelatin, 2% chitosan, 2% calcium lactate, 2% glycerol, and black tea extract (0%; 0.25%; 0.50%; 0.75%; 1%). The samples were coated using the layer-by-layer dipping technique. This study showed that composite fish gelatin–chitosan edible coating enriched with black tea extract maintained and improved weight loss, texture (hardness), color, pH, and total soluble solid antioxidant activity and prevented fungal decay on minimally processed watermelons stored at ±4 °C for 13 days. The development in this study of edible film and a coating prepared from fish gelatin–chitosan and the incorporation of black tea extract as an antioxidant or antimicrobial agent can be a new approach to preventing postharvest loss and increasing the shelf life of minimally processed watermelon.

Application of Bioactive Coatings with Killer Yeasts to Control Post-Harvest Apple Decay Caused by Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium italicum.

A new method was proposed to produce alginate bio-films containing Pichia membranifaciens and Wickerhamomyces anomalus killer yeast to control the post-harvest fungal decay in organic apples caused by Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium italicum. Coatings with W. anomalus killer yeast effectively controlled the growth of P. italicum during storage at 22 °C. W. anomalus killer yeast incorporated in alginate reduced the P. italicum incidence from 90% (control) to 35% after 14 days of storage at 22 °C. Alginate biofilms with W. anomalus or P. membranifaciens also limited the incidence of the fungal decay of apples inoculated with B. cinerea compared with the control fruits, although the antagonistic capability against B. cinerea was lower than against P. italicum. The survival of W. anomalus cells in alginate coating was higher than P. membranifaciens. The incorporation of killer yeasts into alginate had no significant effect on the mechanical properties (tensile strength, percent elongation at break) of alginate coating, however, they increased the thickness of the biofilm. The bioactive coating reduced the fruit weight loss and had no significant effects on the fruit firmness during storage at 2 °C. As organic apples, produced without any synthetic fungicides, are especially prone to fungal decay during storage, the proposed alginate biofilms containing killer yeast seem to be a very promising solution by offering non-chemical, biological control of post-harvest pathogens.

Application of an Eco-Friendly Antifungal Active Package to Extend the Shelf Life of Fresh Red Raspberry (Rubus idaeus L. cv. 'Kweli').

The main objective of this study was to extend the shelf life of fresh red raspberry (Rubus idaeus. L. cv. ‘Kweli’) by using active film-pads inside commercial compostable packages. The pads were produced with chitosan (Ch) with the incorporation of green tea (GTE) and rosemary (RSME) ethanolic extracts as natural antifungal agents. Pads were placed on the bottom of commercial fruit trays underneath the fruits, and the trays were heat-sealed with a polyacid lactic (PLA) film. Preservation studies were carried out over 14 days of storage at refrigeration temperature (4 °C). Raspberry samples were periodically analyzed throughout storage, in terms of quality attributes (fungal decay, weight loss, firmness, surface color, pH, total soluble solids), total phenolic content and antioxidant activity. Gas composition inside the packages was also analyzed over time. From the packaging systems tested, the ones with active film-pads Ch + GTE and Ch + RSME were highly effective in reducing fungal growth and decay of raspberry during storage, showing only around 13% and 5% of spoiled fruits after 14 days, respectively, in contrast with the packages without pads (around 80% of spoiled fruits detected). In addition, fruits preserved using packages with Ch + RSME active film-pads showed lower mass loss (5.6%), decreased firmness (3.7%) and reduced antioxidant activity (around 9% and 15% for DPPH and FRAP methods, respectively). This sustainable packaging presents a potential strategy for the preservation of raspberries and other highly perishable small fruits.

Textile Dye Decolorization Ability of Decaying Hardwood Associated Fungi

Random disposal of synthetic textile dyes has created severe damage to the environment. These dye effluents, even at very low concentrations, can be toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic to various organisms. Complex chemical structures enable the textile dyes to remain stable and inert towards degradation in soil and water. Therefore, textile dye decolorization has gained special attention in the recent past. Biological means of dye decolorization have become one of the attractive decolorization methods. Fungi show a great potency in decolorizing a wide variety of dyes by secreting highly oxidative and nonspecific ligninolytic enzymes such as laccases. The main aim of the current study was to evaluate the dye decolorization abilities of selected fungal isolates associated with decaying hardwoods in Sri Lanka. A total of 10 wood decay fungal isolates were screened for the laccase production and lignin degradation using guaiacol and lignin powder amended media respectively. Phlebiopsis flavidoalba, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, P. pseudomagnoliae and two Schizophyllum commune strains showed both laccase production as well as lignin degradation abilities. Although unable to produce laccases, Fusarium pseudensiforme and Aspergillus fischeri showed lignin degradation ability. Azo Disperse Rubine Red, Indigo Carmine Blue and Disperse Black were selected as textile dyes. Three replicates from each isolate were incubated for 21 days in potato dextrose broth amended with each dye in two concentrations, and percentage reduction in absorbance at 610 nm (for the Indigo Carmine Blue dye) and 400 nm (for Azo Disperse Rubine Red and Disperse Black) were estimated. Dye introduced potato dextrose broth, without fungal isolates were used as controls. P. flavidoalba was the best in decolorizing Azo Disperse Rubine Red (25 mg/L) and Disperse Black (50 mg/L) dyes showing the reduction of absorbance values by 89% and 81% respectively. For the Indigo Carmine Blue dye, F. pseudensiforme showed the highest percent decolorization of 85% at 0.1 ml/L concentration. This is the first report of these organism's ability to decolorize industrial dyes. Based on the results it was evident that some of the hardwood decay fungi have industrial dye decolorization abilities where they can be effectively utilized in dye decolorization and in future bioremediation research as well.
 Keywords: Dye decolorization, Laccase, Wood decay, Fungi, Lignin
 Acknowledgement: Authors acknowledge the TWAS Research Grant 18-020 RG/BIO/AS_I, NSF Sri Lanka RG/2019//BT/03 and ICGEB/CRP/LKA/18-3

Biological Resistance of Elm (Ulmus carpinifolia var. Umbelifera) Trees against Fungal Endophytes and White Rot Decay Fungi

Urban trees are one of the valuable storage in metropolitan areas. Nowadays, a particular attention is paid to the trees and spends million dollars per year to their maintenance. Trees are often subjected to abiotic factors, such as fungi, bacteria, and insects, which lead to decline mechanical strength and wood properties. The objective of this study was to determine the potential degradation of Elm tree wood by Phellinus pomaceus fungi, and Biscogniauxia mediteranae endophyte. Biological decay tests were done according to EN 113 standard and impact bending test in accordance with ASTM-D256-04 standard. The results indicated that with longer incubation time, weight loss increased for both sapwood and heartwood. Fungal deterioration leads to changes in the impact bending. In order to manage street trees, knowing tree characteristics is very important and should be regularly monitored and evaluated in order to identify defects in the trees.

Eco-friendly ‘ochratoxin A’ control in stored licorice roots – quality assurance perspective

According to toxicity data, ochratoxin A (OTA) is the second most important mycotoxin and is produced by Aspergillus and Penicillium. As a natural antifungal agent, clove essential oil (CEO) is a substance generally recognised as safe (GRAS) and shows strong activity against fungal pathogens. Here, we aimed to investigate the control efficacy of CEO in nano-emulsions (CEN) against OTA production in licorice roots and rhizomes during storage. The experiments were performed under simulated conditions of all four seasons (i.e. Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter). Relative humidity (RH) and temperature were simulated in desiccators along with various salt solutions in incubators. Fresh licorice roots were immersed in CEN at various concentrations (150, 300, 600, 1200 and 2400 µl/l). Before utilising the nano-emulsions, we measured their polydispersity index and mean droplet size by the dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique. Also, the chemical composition of the CEO was determined using GC and GC-MS analyses. Sampling was carried out to monitor OTA once every five days. The samples were dried immediately and analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results showed that various concentrations of CEN inhibited the growth of fungi and OTA production. The most effective CEN concentrations were 1200 and 2400 µl/l, which reduced OTA production to 19 and 20 ppb under Winter and Autumn conditions, respectively. These results suggest an effective eco-friendly method for the storage of licorice to reduce postharvest fungal decay.

Probabilistic analysis of climate change impact on fungal decay of timber elements in ground contact and their long-term structural performance

ABSTRACT Climate change can substantially affect infrastructure performance and safety. In this article, the impact of climate change on fungal decay of wooden infrastructure in ground contact is investigated. For this purpose, projections of three different climate change scenarios are used to assess the impact of climate change on fungal decay rate of untreated clear wood elements in ground contact in Sweden. The highest increase in the average decay rate is observed for four counties located in mid-Sweden, i.e. Örebro, Värmland, Västmanland, and Gävleborg. Furthermore, two illustrative examples are presented to demonstrate the impact of the increased decay rates on the structural performance and long-term reliability of timber elements in four selected counties, Skåne (southernmost Sweden), Örebro, Värmland, and Västmanland. In the first illustrative example, the impact of climate change on the bending moment capacity of untreated timber utility poles is assessed while in the second the impact on the long-term reliability of axially loaded untreated columns is investigated. In the four studied counties, it is found that climate change can have considerable impacts on the structural performance and long-term reliability of timber elements in ground contact.

Wood decay fungi: an analysis of worldwide research

PurposeWood decay fungi are the only forms of life capable of degrading wood to its initial constituents, greatly contributing to the soil ecosystem. This study summarizes the current research status and development characteristics of global wood decay fungi research, in order to better understand their role in soils.MethodsA bibliometric analysis was applied to the literature from 1913 to 2020, based on data from the Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection. For this, various bibliometric analysis methods, R (Biblioshiny package), and VOSviewer were applied.ResultsA total of 8089 documents in this field were identified in the WOS Core Collection. The annual number of publications tended to increase, with exponential growth after 2008. Researchers in this field were mainly concentrated in North Europe, the USA, and China. Biotechnology, applied microbiology, environmental sciences, and microbiology were the most popular WOS categories. Bioresource Technology and Applied Environmental Microbiology were the top two journals with the most citations. The top three authors with the most published papers were Dai YC, Martinez AT, and Cui BK. Co-occurrence analysis of author keywords identified six clusters, mainly divided into three categories: the classification and diversity, the degradation mechanisms, and the ecological functions of wood decay fungi. Clustering results further showed that the lignin degradation process and the application of wood decay fungi in industrial production and soil contamination remediation are current research hotspots.ConclusionsWe present a comprehensive and systematic overview of research related to wood decay fungi and provide a deep perspective to understand the associated research progress. This is important for facilitating the development of a profound understanding of the contribution of wood decay fungi to soil systems and the degradation of soil contaminants.

A Review of Fungal Decay in Historic Wooden Structures in Polar Regions

ABSTRACT Biological deterioration is a significant threat to wooden cultural heritage in polar regions. Based on a comprehensive review of previous and current research, we provide an overview of current knowledge of wood-decaying fungi and fungal decay in historic wooden structures in Antarctica and the High Arctic. Most available research focuses on degradation mechanisms, providing data on microbial biodiversity and factors influencing deterioration of the historic polar heritage. Less is reported on decay rates and consequences for cultural heritage, such as the type and severity of damage, causes, repair, and conservation methods. The effects of climate change improve conditions for fungal decay, and thus more severe damage must be expected. Consequently, further research and development should concentrate on these challenges to promote conservation of polar cultural heritage and sustainable heritage management. Greater cooperation between researchers across disciplines in polar regions may be of key importance to improve insights and treatments for polar wooden heritage.

Photodynamic control of fungicide-resistant Penicillium digitatum by vitamin K3 water-soluble analogue

Penicillium digitatum , the fungal pathogen that causes green mold, is responsible for substantial postharvest losses of citrus worldwide. Photodynamic technology is a promising alternative to fungicides to control postharvest fungal decay. In this study, we investigated the antifungal activity of menadione sodium bisulfite (MSB), which is a water-soluble form of vitamin K3, with and without light activation against a fungicide-resistant P. digitatum isolate 3189. Results showed that MSB alone effectively inhibited P. digitatum spore germination and mycelium growth at concentrations of 5 and 40 mg mL −1 , respectively, but did not reduce the viability of the ungerminated spores. When light was applied in addition to MSB, the treatment of 30 mg mL −1 of MSB and 30-min light irradiation resulted in a 5-log reduction of ungerminated spores regardless of the light type. In addition, light exposure decreased the required MSB concentrations for the control of spore germination and mycelium growth. Artificially-inoculated oranges with 3189 spores treated with 40 mg mL −1 of MSB and exposed to 30-min of simulated sunlight had no disease symptoms of green mold up to 14 days later compared to controls. In summary, this study illustrates the promising antifungal effect of MSB both with and without light exposure. The in vivo study using oranges as model fruit demonstrates the application potential of MSB for the citrus produce industry. • Menadione sodium bisulfite (MSB) prevents green mold decay caused by P. digitatum . • MSB has antifungal activity both in the dark and under light. • Light exposure (UV-A or simulated sunlight) enhances the antifungal effect of MSB. • MSB controls the viability of spores, spore germination, and mycelium growth. • MSB demonstrates promising application potentials for the produce industry.

Assessment of the effects of projected climate change on the potential risk of wood decay in Korea

Future climate change due to global warming could increase the decay risk of wood, which thereby increases the vulnerability of wood buildings to fungal decay. This study intended to understand changes in the potential risk of wood decay due to climate change in Korea and to identify the manner in which climate change presumably influences wooden cultural heritages (WCHs). Scheffer's climate index values for estimating the decay risk of wood exposed outdoors aboveground were calculated using historical climate data (1987–2016) and future climate scenarios (2021–2100). The study employed representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios to project the potential risk of wood decay in Korea until the end of 21th century. The results demonstrate that climate change will significantly increase the potential decay risk and resultant vulnerability of WCHs to fungal decay by the end of the century, even under RCP 4.5, which is a scenario with reductions. This apparent increase in threat due to climate change denotes that various measures or strategies, such as more frequent inspection and more robust maintenance, should be employed to reduce the vulnerability of WCHs to fungal decay due to climate change.

Nanostructural Changes Correlated to Decay Resistance of Chemically Modified Wood Fibers

Reactive chemical modifications have been shown to impart decay resistance to wood. These modifications change hydroxyl availability, water uptake, surface energy, and the nanostructure of wood. Because fungal action occurs on the micro and nano scale, further investigation into the nanostructure may lead to better strategies to prevent fungal decay. The aim of this article is to introduce our findings using small angle neutron scattering (SANS) to probe the effects of chemical modifications on the nanostructure of wood fibers. Southern pine wood fiber samples were chemically modified to various weight percentage gains (WPG) using propylene oxide (PO), butylene oxide (BO), or acetic anhydride (AA). After modification, the samples were water leached for two weeks to remove any unreacted reagents, homopolymers or by-products and then the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) was determined. Laboratory soil-block-decay evaluations against the brown rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum were performed to determine weight loss and decay resistance of the modifications. To assist in understanding the mechanism behind fungal decay resistance, SANS was used to study samples that were fully immersed in deuterium oxide (D2O). These measurements revealed that modifying the fibers led to differences in the swollen wood nanostructure compared to unmodified wood fibers. Moreover, the modifications led to differences in the nanoscale features observed in samples that were exposed to brown rot fungal attack compared to unmodified wood fibers and solid wood blocks modified with alkylene oxides.

Lipopeptides Produced by Bacillus mojavensis P1709 as an Efficient Tool to Maintain Postharvest Cherry Tomato Quality and Quantity

Because of significant yield losses caused by fungal pathogens, new efficient and environmentally safe methods of pest control are needed, and amphiphilic compounds (biosurfactants) produced by many microbes are considered a good alternative. In the present study, biosurfactants produced by the rhizosphere isolate Bacillus mojavensis P1709 were assessed for their ability to protect postharvest cherry tomatoes from decay and mycotoxin contamination caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici. It was demonstrated that the genome of B. mojavensis P1709 contained the fenD and srfAA genes, which are responsible for the synthesis of compounds of the fengycin and surfactin families. APF (acid-precipitated fraction) of B. mojavensis P1709 culture medium at a concentration of 20 g L−1 inhibited pathogen radial growth on agar plates by 93%, and T-2 and HT-2 mycotoxin production by 98%, after 5 days of cultivation. APF also suppressed fungal growth in the in vivo test on cherry tomato fruits by 93% and 25% on the 2nd and 7th days of incubation, respectively. The results obtained demonstrate that biosurfactants produced by B. mojavensis P1709 are an efficient tool for protecting postharvest cherry tomatoes from fungal mold decay and mycotoxin contamination.