Effect of combined Bacillomycin D and chitosan on growth of Rhizopus stolonifer and Botrytis cinerea and cherry tomato preservation

BACKGROUND Synthetic fungicides are the most commonly used for controlling postharvest disease of fruit, but they could cause the emergence of drug-resistant strains, environmental pollution and fruit safety issues. BD (Bacillomycin D, a novel antifungal lipopeptide) and chitosan (CTS) are applied to the preservation of cherry tomato. RESULTS The combination of BD and CTS showed an additive inhibition on the growth of R. stolonifer and B. cinerea as compared to that of its individual compound. In addition, BD + CTS reduced the incidence of soft rot and gray mold in cherry tomato caused by R. stolonifer and B. cinerea, respectively. Tomato treated with BD + CTS exhibited lower weight loss and higher firmness and higher contents of total soluble solids, titratable acidity and ascorbic acid, compared to those treated with sterile water (control). The kinetics models demonstrated that the shelf life of cherry tomato treated with BD + CTS could be extended about 15 days longer than the control. CONCLUSION The utilization of BD + CTS provided a novel strategy in reducing postharvest fungal rot and maintaining the storage quality of cherry tomato. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.