Abstract: Aureobasidium is omnipresent and can be isolated from air, water bodies, soil, wood, and other plant materials, as well as inorganic materials such as rocks and marble. A total of 32 species of this fungal genus have been identified at the level of DNA, of which Aureobasidium pullulans is best known. Aureobasidium is of interest for a sustainable economy because it can be used to produce a wide variety of compounds, including enzymes, polysaccharides, and biosurfactants. Moreover, it can be used to promote plant growth and protect wood and crops. To this end, Aureobasidium cells adhere to wood or plants by producing extracellular polysaccharides, thereby forming a biofilm. This biofilm provides a sustainable alternative to petrol-based coatings and toxic chemicals. This and the fact that Aureobasidium biofilms have the potential of self-repair make them a potential engineered living material avant la lettre. Key points: •Aureobasidium produces products of interest to the industry •Aureobasidium can stimulate plant growth and protect crops •Biofinish of A. pullulans is a sustainable alternative to petrol-based coatings •Aureobasidium biofilms have the potential to function as engineered living materials.
The aim of the present work was to control phytopathogens associated to mango decay by exposure to antifungal thyme oil-starch/agave fructans microcapsules in Nylon sachets. Fusarium pseudocircinatum, Alternaria alternata, Neofusicocum kwambonambiense, Cladosporium pseudocladosporioides, and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides were isolated from mango fruits and its mycelial growth was 100% inhibited with 5 μL of thyme oil. Thyme oil was microencapsulated with modified starch/agave fructans by spray drying. Thymol content, size, and shape of microcapsules were evaluated. Antifungal sachets were prepared by filling Nylon bags (4 × 4 cm) with different doses of thyme oil microcapsules: 0.10, 0.15 and 0.20 g. The mycelial growth of all microorganisms was controlled with 0.10, 0.15 and 0.20 g of antifungal sachets. The incidence (75 and 65%) and severity (77 and 41%) of C. gloeosporioides were effectively reduced in mango, respectively, using 0.10 and 0.20 g of antifungal sachets.
Active antifungal packaging is a technological solution for reducing the postharvest losses of fruits and vegetables associated with phytopathogens. Anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides) is the principal fungus that causes post-harvest avocado fruit decay. In this study, antifungal sachets filled with oregano oil-starch capsules were prepared, and their active effects were demonstrated on Hass avocado fruits. Oregano oil (31 % of carvacrol) was encapsulated with corn starch by spray drying. Tyvek sachets (4 × 4 cm) filled with 80 (T1) and 160 mg (T2) of oregano oil-starch capsules (99.35 ± 1.86 mg g − 1) were fabricated. The antifungal effects of the sachets were tested in vitro and in vivo using a humidity chamber (90–95 % relative humidity (RH)) on fruits inoculated with anthracnose. The results showed that T1 and T2 inhibited 75.21 ± 2.81 and 100 % in vitro growth of anthracnose at 25 °C for 12 days. Furthermore, Hass avocado fruits stored in a humidity chamber at 25 °C for 6 days showed that only T2 significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the area of lesion produced by artificial inoculation of Hass avocado fruits with anthracnose. On average, the lesion area in the Hass avocado fruits treated with T2 was 13.94 % smaller than that in the control fruit.
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