title: Evaluating food additives as antifungal agents against Monilinia fructicola in vitro and in hydroxypropyl methylcellulose-lipid composite edible coatings for plums.
abstract: Common food preservative agents were evaluated in in vitro tests for their antifungal activity against Monilinia fructicola, the most economically important pathogen causing postharvest disease of stone fruits. Radial mycelial growth was measured in Petri dishes of PDA amended with three different concentrations of the agents (0.01-0.2%, v/v) after 7 days of incubation at 25 °C. Thirteen out of fifteen agents tested completely inhibited the radial growth of the fungus at various concentrations. Among them, ammonium carbonate, ammonium bicarbonate and sodium bicarbonate were the most effective while sodium acetate and sodium formate were the least effective. The effective agents and concentrations were tested as ingredients of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)-lipid edible coatings against brown rot disease on plums previously inoculated with M. fructicola (curative activity). 'Friar' and 'Larry Ann' plums were inoculated with the pathogen, coated with stable edible coatings about 24h later, and incubated at 20 °C and 90% RH. Disease incidence (%) and severity (lesion diameter) were determined after 4, 6, and 8 days of incubation and the 'area under the disease progress stairs' (AUDPS) was calculated. Coatings containing bicarbonates and parabens significantly reduced brown rot incidence in plums, but potassium sorbate, used at 1.0% in the coating formulation, was the most effective agent with a reduction rate of 28.6%. All the tested coatings reduced disease severity to some extent, but coatings containing 0.1% sodium methylparaben or sodium ethylparaben or 0.2% ammonium carbonate or ammonium bicarbonate were superior to the rest, with reduction rates of 45-50%. Overall, the results showed that most of the agents tested in this study had significant antimicrobial activity against M. fructicola and the application of selected antifungal edible coatings is a promising alternative for the control of postharvest brown rot in plums.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Pamukkale University, 20070 Camlik, Denizli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Karaca
authors.affiliation: Postharvest Technology Center (CTP), Valencian Institute for Agricultural Research (IVIA), Apartat Oficial, 46113 Montcada, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: María B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Pérez-Gago
authors.affiliation: Postharvest Technology Center (CTP), Valencian Institute for Agricultural Research (IVIA), Apartat Oficial, 46113 Montcada, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Verònica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Taberner
authors.affiliation: Postharvest Technology Center (CTP), Valencian Institute for Agricultural Research (IVIA), Apartat Oficial, 46113 Montcada, Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: palou_llu@gva.es.
authors.forename: Lluís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Palou
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001203:Ascomycota / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D002219:Carbamates / Q000494:pharmacology; D005520:Food Preservatives / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000592:standards*; D065347:Hypromellose Derivatives; D008055:Lipids / Q000494:pharmacology; D008747:Methylcellulose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D010226:Parabens / Q000494:pharmacology; D027861:Prunus / Q000382:microbiology*; D013011:Sorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D002219:Carbamates; D005520:Food Preservatives; D008055:Lipids; D010226:Parabens; D065347:Hypromellose Derivatives; D008747:Methylcellulose; C070766:carbamic acid; D013011:Sorbic Acid
keywords: Antimicrobial agents; Brown rot; Food additives; Postharvest disease; Prunus salicina