title: Efficacy and possible mechanisms of perillaldehyde in control of Aspergillus niger causing grape decay.
abstract: A variety of plant products have been recognized for their antifungal activity and recently have attracted food industry attention for their efficacy in controlling postharvest fungal decay of fruits. The antifungal activity of perillaldehyde (PAE) was evaluated against Aspergillus niger, a known cause of grape spoilage, and possible mechanisms were explored. PAE showed notable antifungal activity against A. niger, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and a minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of 0.25 and 1 μl/ml, respectively. The accumulation of mycelial biomass was also inhibited by PAE in a dose-dependent manner, completely inhibiting mycelial growth at 1 μl/ml. In vivo data confirmed that the vapour treatment of grapes with various concentrations of PAE markedly improved control of A. niger and suppressed natural decay. Concentrations of PAE of 0.075 μl/ml air showed the greatest inhibition of fungal growth compared to the controls. Further experiments indicated that PAE activated a membrane-active mechanism that inhibits ergosterol synthesis, increases membrane permeability (as evidenced by extracellular pH and conductivity measurements), and disrupts membrane integrity, leading to cell death. Our findings suggest that this membrane-active mechanism makes PAE a promising potential antifungal agent for postharvest control of grape spoilage.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu Province, PR China; Department of Food Science, Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety, University of Guelph, Guelph N1G 2W1, ON, Canada. Electronic address: tj-085@163.com.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu Province, PR China.
authors.forename: Yanzhen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Biological Resources/College of life science, Tarim University, Alar, 843300, Xinjiang, PR China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu Province, PR China.
authors.forename: Zongyun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu Province, PR China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety, University of Guelph, Guelph N1G 2W1, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Akalate
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tessema
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu Province, PR China. Electronic address: pengxue@jsnu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Peng
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001234:Aspergillus niger / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D004875:Ergosterol / Q000032:analysis; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005638:Fruit / Q000382:microbiology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D027843:Vitis / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D039821:Monoterpenes; C033342:perillaldehyde; D004875:Ergosterol
keywords: Antifungal; Aspergillus niger; Grape; Mechanism; Perillaldehyde