Biocontrol of pome fruit diseases under post-harvest commercial conditions using bacterial and yeast strains

Abstract: Post-harvest diseases are caused by pathogens that may occur during harvesting,
handling, storage, marketing, purchase and even after purchase. These pathogens cause
considerable losses of yield and quality. The use of biological control as an alternative to
chemical control has been successfully used against various post-harvest pathogens. In this
study, a reduction in post-harvest rotting of apples was demonstrated using in vivo experiments with bacterial and yeast strains. Competition for nutrients and space, production of cellulase and protease, production of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with inhibitory effect in vitro and the ability to colonize fruit wounds were assumed to be the main mechanisms of fungal inhibition of strains. This inhibitory activity seems to be stabilized and improved by the addition of certain food additives. Other work focused on the evaluation of the toxicity of this microbial strain through biochemical parameters including the dosage of LDH, MDA, carbonyl proteins after a 21-day treatment of Swiss albino mice by administration of the suspension bacteria alone and in combination with food additives in drinking water to ensure their potential application in effective post-harvest biofungicide formulations without toxic or harmful effect on human health.