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The curative antifungal activity of edible composite coatings (ECs) based on pregelatinized potato starch-glyceryl monostearate (PPS-GMS) formulated with or without sodium benzoate (SB) to control green mould (caused by Penicillium digitatum) and blue mould (P. italicum) was assessed on ‘Orri’ mandarins, ‘Valencia’ oranges and ‘Fino’ lemons. These fruit were artificially inoculated with P. digitatum or P. italicum, treated by immersion in coating emulsions and compared to uncoated control fruit immersed in water and fruit immersed in 2% SB (w/v) aqueous solution. Treated fruit were then stored at either 20°C or commercial low temperature (5°C for mandarins and oranges, 12°C for lemons). Coatings without SB did not exhibit antifungal activity, whereas coatings containing 2% SB reduced incidence and severity of green and blue moulds, in comparison to the controls, on all citrus species and in all storage conditions, without differing from the aplication of 2% SB alone. For example, incidence reduction on ‘Fino’ lemons was from 99 to 0% after 7 d at 20°C, and from 99 to 30% after 2 weeks at 12°C. None of the treatments was phytotoxic. These results indicate that applications of SB as antifungal ingredient of PPS-GMS based ECs is a promising non-polluting alternative to control Penicillium postharvest decay of citrus, and these ECs are effective substitutes for conventional waxes amended with synthetic fungicides.

Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is one of the most damaging pests in maize crops. In order to manage it, synthetic insecticides such as diamides, neonicotinoids, and pyrethroids are used, but they present a risk for humans and the environment. Investigations of safer alternatives include the use of natural extracts. Thus, this research evaluated the effects of chloroform extract (CHCl3Sc) (5000, 4000, 2000, 1000, and 500 ppm) on aerial parts of Salvia connivens and of nonanal and pyrocatechol (1000, 600, 400, and 80 ppm) on S. frugiperda mortality, duration of the larva and pupae phases, and pupae weight after 24 h. The second instars of S. frugiperda larvae were fed an artificial diet incorporating the extract and compounds. The CHCl3Sc had insecticidal activity against S. frugiperda, showing an LC50 of 1504 ppm. Insectistatic activity began at 1000 ppm, increasing pupal and larval duration in 7.6 and 1.4 days, respectively. Pyrocatechol and nonanal were found in this extract. The first did not have any significant difference in larval or pupal mortalities. On the other hand, insectistatic activity was shown at 500 ppm, increasing the larval duration by 1.7 days compared with the control. In the case of nonanal, the insecticide activity was LC50 of 200 ppm, and insectistatic activity started at 80 ppm, increasing larval duration by 3.2 days compared with the control and reducing pupal weight by 3.4%. The results show that chloroformic extract had insecticidal and insectistatic activities against S. frugiperda; nonanal was an aldehyde compound present in this extract, which confers insecticidal and insectistatic activities against this pest.

Native lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are capable of growing during winemaking, thereby strongly affecting wine quality. The species of LAB present in musts, wines during malolactic fermentation (MLF), and barrels/filters were investigated in wineries from the emerging wine region of Queretaro, México using multiplex PCR and culture. The resistance to wine-like conditions (WLC): ethanol (10, 12 and 13%), SO2 (30 mg·l-1) and low pH (3.5) of native LAB strains was also studied. Five species were detected within 61 samples obtained: Oenococcus oeni, Lactobacillus plantarum, Pediococcus parvulus, Lactobacillus hilgardi and Lactobacillus brevis. Four species (excepting L. brevis) were found in must; O. oeni and P. parvulus were ubiquitous in wine and L. plantarum and L. brevis were mainly present at the initial stage of MLF, while L. hilgardii was mostly detected at the advanced stage. Furthermore, some species detected in barrel/filter, sprove them to be hazardous reservoirs. From 822 LAB isolates, only 119 resisted WLC with 10% ethanol; the number of strains able to grow in WLC with 13% ethanol decreased approximately by 50%, O. oeni being the most versatile species with 65% of resistant isolates, while Lactobacillus spp. and P. parvulus were the most strongly affected, especially those recovered from barrel/filter, with less than 10% of resistant isolates. This study evidences the presence of local strains able to be used as starter cultures, and also enabled the assessment of the risks derived from the presence of spoilage LAB strains resistant to WLC.

El uso de levaduras antagónicas para el control de enfermedades de manzanas en poscosecha reduce los daños al ambiente, por lo que resulta fundamental conocer su modo de acción para su posterior uso comercial. Se estudiaron dos modos de acción de cuatro cepas de levaduras contra Penicillium expansum Link. La antibiosis se evaluó mediante cultivos duales y antibiogramas, y la competencia por nutrientes a través de microplacas de cultivo, con filtros semipermeables de politetrafluoroetileno (PTFE). La ausencia de halos de inhibición por los antagonistas en los cultivos duales y antibiogramas muestra su incapacidad para producir antibióticos. La germinación de los conidios de P. expansum en las microplacas fue de alrededor de 95 % en los distintos medios en ausencia de las levaduras, pero se redujo significativamente (entre 10 y 20 %) en presencia de cualquiera de éstas. Cuando las levaduras fueron separadas del hongo por el filtro, el porcentaje de germinación de P. expansum se incrementó significativamente sólo con la cepa 22-111 (Pichia guilliermondii). Se obtuvo un bajo coeficiente de correlación de los índices de germinación del hongo entre los dos tratamientos (r = -0.303), lo que supone una interacción directa del antagonista con el hongo. Por el contrario, con las cepas 38-432, 24-2 3a y 22-2 4a el índice de germinación de P. expansum resultó muy similar al obtenido cuando éstas se encontraban en contacto directo con los conidios (r = 0.989, r = 0.999 y r = 0.995, respectivamente), lo que sugiere que la competencia por nutrientes es su principal modo de acción.

La producción de frutas y hortalizas bajo invernadero se ha incrementado en México de 721 ha en 1996 a 9,500 ha en 2009. Recientemente se presentó en el pimiento (Capsicum annum L.) una enfermedad fungosa que afecta al pedúnculo del fruto en poscosecha y cuyo agente causal es Fusarium stilboides. Una alternativa para reducir el daño producido por este hongo es el uso de métodos de control biológico. Para evaluar el poder antagónico de cepas de levaduras de distinto origen en comparación con métodos químicos para el control de F. stilboides, se inocularon frutos de pimiento con una concentración conocida de levaduras (107 UFC·mL-1), en presencia de una suspensión de esporas (105 UFC·mL-1) de F. stiboides, o bien se sumergieron en soluciones de distintos fungicidas (benomyl, captán, bicarbonato de sodio y bicarbonato de potasio) a diversas concentraciones y se inocularon con la suspensión de esporas del hongo. Benomyl 0.6 g·L-1 mostró el más alto nivel de inhibición de la severidad en el pedúnculo (81 %), mientras que bicarbonato de sodio 30 g·L-1 resultó más efectivo a nivel del epicarpio (51 % de reducción del diámetro de la lesión). Las levaduras 22-25b y 18-1x de manzana, Avv, 5vtt (Candida incommunis) de velos de vino, 3d. RMA3 de pimiento redujeron el diámetro de la lesión en el epicarpio en 63, 54, 53, 47 y 45 %, respectivamente.