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Marine-Based Carbohydrates as a Valuable Resource for Nutraceuticals and Biotechnological Application
Published in Se-Kwon Kim, Marine Biochemistry, 2023
Rajni Kumari, V. Vivekanand, Nidhi Pareek
Researchers have reported that chitosan also has antifungal activity that inhibits the growth of many phytopathogenic fungus such as Fusarium oxysporum, Phytophthora infestans (Atia et al., 2005), and Alternaria solani (Saharan et al., 2015) in tomatoes; Botrytis cinerea and Botrytis conidia (gray mold) in cucumber plants (Ben-Shalom et al., 2003); and Penicillium digitatum (green mold) and Penicillium italicum (blue mold) in citrus fruit (Tayel et al., 2016). Earlier studies showed that chitosan reduces mycelial growth, fungal infection, sporangial production, germination of fungi, and release of zoospores. Antifungal activity is also influenced by molecular weight and degree of acetylation of homogenous chitosan, but it varies according to type of fungus; for example, Fusarium oxysporum is influenced by only molecular weight, Alternaria solani is affected by only acetylation degree and no effect of molecular weight, and degree of acetylation is observed on Aspergillus niger (Younes et al., 2014). The suggested mechanism is that chitosan forms a permeable layer over the crop surface, which controls the fungal growth and induces the activation of many defense actions like callus synthesis, chitinase accumulation, inhibitor of protein synthesis, and callus lignification (Bai et al., 1988). Chitosan shows potent fungicidal synergistic activity with fluconazole and is a promising therapy for Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis (Lo et al., 2020).
Patulin
Published in Dongyou Liu, Handbook of Foodborne Diseases, 2018
Alejandro Hernández, Alicia Rodríguez, Santiago Ruiz-Moyano, Francisco Pérez-Nevado, Juan J. Córdoba, Alberto Martín
Patulin is a toxic compound produced by molds of the genera Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Byssochlamys, with P. expansum being the most important producer. P. expansum is a phytopathogenic fungus that preferentially infects pomiferous fruits, producing blue mold rot, a relevant postharvest disease of apples [30]. Also this mold causes disease and postharvest decay in other fruits, including pear, kiwifruits, apricots, peaches, and strawberries [31–33]. P. expansum is a psychrophile mold, with an optimum growth temperature near 25°C, although it can grow at −3°C [34–36]. This mold is disseminated during the fruit development and its harvest by different vectors and by equipment and personnel. During the postharvest period, inadequate storage conditions may facilitate the growth of P. expansum [34,37]. To grow in the fruit and to produce patulin, this mold causes surface damages, formed in the fruit before harvest, during postharvest, or throughout the storage periods as a consequence of improper handling, insects, storm damage, or by other factors. Moreover, Snini et al. [38] proved that patulin was an aggressiveness factor in most apple cultivars studied, facilitating the growth of the fungus in the fruit; however, it is not required to infect apples.
Penicillium and Talaromyces
Published in Dongyou Liu, Laboratory Models for Foodborne Infections, 2017
Elena Bermúdez, Félix Núñez, Josué Delgado, Miguel A. Asensio
Penicillium species play important roles in the environment, agriculture, and industry. Some species of genus Penicillium are of economic importance to the food industry because they contribute to food ripening, while others are postharvest pathogens or cause spoilage. For example, Penicillium camemberti and Penicillium roqueforti are used for cheese manufacture; Penicillium nalgiovense and Penicillium chrysogenum contribute to ripening of dry-cured meat products. On the other hand, Penicillium expansum is the causal agent of blue mold postharvest rots of apples and is also able to produce patulin and other mycotoxins, as discussed later. Penicillium digitatum and Penicillium italicum are responsible for postharvest citrus decay. Heat-resistant ascospores produced by various Talaromyces spp. cause spoilage of pasteurized juices and other fruit-based products.4
Mechanisms of nanotoxicity – biomolecule coronas protect pathological fungi against nanoparticle-based eradication
Published in Nanotoxicology, 2020
Roland H. Stauber, Dana Westmeier, Madita Wandrey, Sven Becker, Dominic Docter, Guo-Bin Ding, Eckhard Thines, Shirley K. Knauer, Svenja Siemer
Furthermore, surprisingly little is known on the crosstalk of NMs with socio-economical highly relevant pests, including viruses, bacteria, or the plethora of (pathogenic) fungi. Besides being crucial to maintaining ecological homeostasis, fungi are associated with a wide spectrum of diseases, highly relevant not only for humans or animals but also for agriculture (Erwig and Gow 2016; Romani 2011; Dean et al. 2012; Westmeier, Solouk-Saram, et al. 2018; Aimanianda et al. 2009). Here, the decay of fruits and vegetables causes major economic losses (Dean et al. 2012). Using chemical fungicides is still the main method for controlling postharvest decay and diseases to date (Dean et al. 2012). However, due to increasing public concern on environmental pollution and food safety by fungicide residues, there is a demand to develop new strategies as alternatives to manage postharvest decay. Among the top ten fungal plant pathogens, Botrytis cinerea is ranked second, by causing gray mold in more than 200 host plant species and is especially destructive to fruits and vegetables (Dean et al. 2012). Infection is initiated by airborne conidia and also fungicide-resistant strains frequently emerge. Likewise, Penicillium expansum causes blue mold rot, a prevalent postharvest disease of many fruits (Dean et al. 2012).
Biosensors for the detection of mycotoxins
Published in Toxin Reviews, 2022
Akansha Shrivastava, Rakesh Kumar Sharma
Patulin was first isolated as a substance with antimicrobial properties but later in 1960s found toxic to animals and plants. The disease called "Blue mold", common in apple, pear, cherry, and other fruits is caused by the fungus Penicillium expansum, which is also considered an efficient producer of patulin naturally. It is reported to damage the immune system of animals. Other immense producer fungi are Aspergillus clavatus, Aspergillus giganteus, and Aspergillus terreus (Edite Bezerra da Rocha et al. 2014, Ioi et al. 2017). Varied patulin levels have been detected in different fruits (apple and grapes) and fruit juices being highest in apple leather 2259 µg/kg (Saleh and Goktepe 2019).