title: Botryticidal activity of nanosized silver-chitosan composite and its application for the control of gray mold in strawberry.
abstract: Botrytis cinerea Pers, the gray mold fungus, is among the most dangerous plant pathogens that cause great losses in agricultural crops. The botryticidal activities of nanosized silver (nano Ag), fungal chitosan (CTS) irradiated fungal chitosan (IrCTS), and nano Ag-IrCTS composite were investigated. All of the examined materials exhibited powerful antifungal activity against B. cinerea. The most effective compound was nano Ag-IrCTS composite with a minimal inhibitory concentration of 125 μg/mL. The microscopic examination, of treated B. cinerea with the composite, revealed that an obvious alteration in mycelial shape was appeared accompanied and moderate lysis in fungal hyphae. With the prolongation of treatment, most of the fungal mycelia were lysed into small and elastic fragments. The consequence of strawberries coating, with antifungal composite based solution, was the disappearance of gray mold infection signs in 90% of the contaminated fruits after 7 d of storage, treated fruits had a fresh-like appearance at the end of storage. Coating with nano Ag-IrCTS solution could be highly recommended regarding its efficiency in prohibiting B. cinerea growth, preventing gray mold decay and enhancing the overall quality of coated strawberry fruits.
authors.affiliation: Promising Research Center in Biological Control and Agricultural Information, Qassim Univ., Bureidah 51452, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Shaaban H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Moussa
authors.affiliation: Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Inst., Univ. of Sadat City, El-Sadat City, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ahmed A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Tayel
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Plant Production and Protection, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Qassim Univ., Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Abdullah S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Alsohim
authors.affiliation: Promising Research Center in Biological Control and Agricultural Information, Qassim Univ., Bureidah 51452, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Reda R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Abdallah
mesh_terms: D020171:Botrytis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D005516:Food Microbiology; D031985:Fragaria / Q000382:microbiology*; D005638:Fruit / Q000382:microbiology; D005659:Fungicides, Industrial / Q000494:pharmacology*; D025301:Hyphae / Q000187:drug effects; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D025282:Mycelium / Q000187:drug effects; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D005659:Fungicides, Industrial; D048271:Chitosan
keywords: Botrytis cinerea; coating; fungal chitosan; nanoparticle; shelf life