AUTHOR=Yang Qiya , Zhang Hongyin , Zhang Xiaoyun , Zheng Xiangfeng , Qian Jingya 

TITLE=Phytic Acid Enhances Biocontrol Activity of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa against Penicillium expansum Contamination and Patulin Production in Apples

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=6

YEAR=2015

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2015.01296

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2015.01296

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>The effect of <italic>Rhodotorula mucilaginosa</italic> in combination with phytic acid (PA) on blue mold decay and patulin contamination of apples was investigated. Results from this study show that different concentrations of PA were effective in reducing the disease incidence of apples and that PA at concentration of 4 μmol/mL, decreased the incidence of blue mold decay in apples from 86.1 to 62.5%, and showed higher control efficacy compared to untreated, control fruit during storage at 20°C. However, <italic>R. mucilaginosa</italic> combined with PA (4 μmol/mL) showed better control efficacy of blue mold decay than <italic>R. mucilaginosa</italic> used as single treatment, the disease incidence was reduced to 62.5% and lesion diameter on apples was reduced to 16.59 cm. In <italic>in vitro</italic> experiments, the addition of PA enhanced the biocontrol effect of <italic>R. mucilaginosa</italic> against the growth of <italic>Penicillium expansum</italic> and reduced patulin level when compared with either <italic>R. mucilaginosa</italic> or PA used separately. <italic>R. mucilaginosa</italic> together with PA, improved the inhibition of patulin production in wounded apples, decreasing the content of patulin by 89.6% compared to the control, under experimental conditions. Both <italic>R. mucilaginosa</italic> and <italic>R. mucilaginosa</italic> in combination with PA degraded patulin <italic>in vitro</italic>. In conclusion, the appropriate combination of <italic>R. mucilaginosa</italic> and PA may provide an effective biocontrol method for reducing postharvest decay of apples.</p>