title: Effects of the protective, curative, and eradicative applications of chitosan against Penicillium expansum in apples.
abstract: Apple is one of the most important temperate fruit to Brazil economy, and the use of synthetic chemicals has been the main method for reducing postharvest diseases, such as the blue mold, caused by Penicillium expansum. This work intends to evaluate the practical utilization of chitosan for blue mold control. For this purpose, fruits were treated in a preventive and curative way, immersing the fruits in chitosan solution (5 or 10mgmL-1), or adding a single drop of this solution (10mgmL-1) directly into the injuries. The eradicative effect of the polysaccharide was also evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Chitosan did not show a curative effect against the blue mold, and its eradicative effect was only evidenced on the higher concentration (10mgmL-1). On the other hand, preventively, without the addition of adjuvants, chitosan reduced blue mold incidence in fruits by 24% and 93%, through the immersion or the single drop methods, respectively. Thus, it was found that, for long scale utilization, some improvements in the physico-chemical properties of the chitosan are needed, since it was only capable to prevent the infection by P. expansum when directly added on the fruit injury.
authors: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Departamento de Fitotecnia, Florianópolis, SC, Brasil.
authors: Josiane Cecília
authors: JC
authors: Darolt
authors: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Departamento de Fitotecnia, Florianópolis, SC, Brasil.
authors: Argus Cezar da
authors: AC
authors: Rocha Neto
authors: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Departamento de Fitotecnia, Florianópolis, SC, Brasil. Electronic address: robson.piero@ufsc.br.
authors: Robson Marcelo
authors: RM
authors: Di Piero
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005638:Fruit / Q000382:microbiology; D027845:Malus / Q000382:microbiology*; D010407:Penicillium / Q000187:drug effects*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D048271:Chitosan
keywords: Alternative control; Antimicrobial activity; Chitosan; Malus domestica; Polysaccharide