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Penicillium expansum is the causal agent of blue mold in harvested fruits and vegetables during storage and distribution, causing serious economic loss. In this study we seek the action modes of bifonazole against this pathogen. Bifonazole exhibited strong antifungal activity against P. expansum by inhibiting ergosterol synthesis. The ergosterol depletion caused damage to the cell structure and especially cell membrane integrity as observed by SEM and TEM. With increased unsaturated fatty acids contents, the cell membrane viscosity decreases and can no longer effectively maintain the cytoplasm, which ultimately decreases extracellular conductivity, changes intracellular pH and ion homeostasis. Exposure of hyphal cells to bifonazole shows that mitochondrial respiration is inhibited and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels–including H2O2 and malondialdehyde (MDA) – are significantly increased. The functional impairment of mitochondria and cell membrane eventually cause cell death through intrinsic apoptosis and necroptosis.

One of the most significant challenges associated with postharvest apple deterioration is the blue mold caused by Penicillium expansum, which leads to considerable economic losses to apple production industries. Apple fruits are susceptible to mold infection owing to their high nutrient and water content, and current physical control methods can delay but cannot completely inhibit P. expansum growth. Biological control methods present promising alternatives; however, they are not always cost effective and have application restrictions. P. expansum infection not only enhances disease pathogenicity, but also inhibits the expression of host-related defense genes. The implementation of new ways to investigate and control P. expansum are expected with the advent of omics technology. Advances in these techniques, together with molecular biology approaches such as targeted gene deletion and whole genome sequencing, will lead to a better understanding of the P. expansum infectious machinery. Here, we review the progress of research on the blue mold disease caused by P. expansum in apples, including physiological and molecular infection mechanisms, as well as various methods to control this common plant pathogen.

It is not clear how the amino acid composition of the X sites in GXSXG domain affects the properties of the lipase. To address this, saturation mutation at these sites of Penicillium expansum lipase (PEL) was carried out. After screening, a mutant L133M with significantly different activity was obtained. The activity of L133M was lower than that of wild-type PEL (WT) when the reaction time was 3–10 min. However, it was 1.61 times that of WT under long-term (48 h) catalysis. WT exhibited interfacial activation when the concentration of p-nitrophenylbutyrate was higher than 3 mM, whereas L133M could only show interfacial activation at higher micelle concentration (p-nitrophenylbutyrate concentration > 5 mM), which seemed to be slower. Further analysis showed that a new hydrophobic interaction was generated between the methionine introduced at position 133 and the lid, which made the interface activation process more difficult. However, the binding energy between the activated mutant and the substrate was smaller, showing stronger activity. This work provides some reliable clues for further understanding the complex role of GXSXG domain in enzyme catalysis.

In this study, the methanolic extract (ME) and the essential oil (EO) of the medicinal plant Artemisia campestris L. were investigated for their antioxidant activity and their antifungal efficacy on the postharvest storage decays; Botrytis cinerea Pers. and Penicillium expansum Link. The total polyphenolic and flavonoid contents were determined. The ME had higher total polyphenolic and flavonoid contents (400.64 µg GAE/mg and 43.13 ± 0.14 μg QE/mg, respectively) than EO (27.47 ± 0.44 µg GAE/mg and 14.04 ± 0.82 µg QE/mg, respectively). The ME presented higher radical scavenging power than the BHT and its IC50 values were 11.71, 40.96 and 23.32 µg/mL for the DPPH, β-carotene bleaching and reducing power respectively. In the antifungal activity, the EO had the stronger effect on both molds, particularly at concentrations > 15 µL, ≥ 800 µL/L and ≥ 15 µL by fumigation, incorporation and disc-diffusion methods respectively, resulting in higher than 80% inhibition of B. cinerea mycelial growth, and from 50 to > 80% inhibition on P. expansum mycelial growth. Methanolic extract showed nearby 50% inhibition on both fungi. The EO MIC was less than 2.5 µL/mL which was shown as MFC for both molds. The bio-autography test has shown separated compounds of the ME having an inhibitor effect on spore germination. These results offer an advantage of suggesting A. campestris could be used as a material for extraction of certain antifungal chemicals for preventing spoilage in food items.

The rise in world industrialization and the cost of importing enzyme by local industries have led to arise in the search for novel and native enzyme producing microorganisms. Cellulase is an enzyme that catalyzes the breaking down of carbon chains in cellulose and hemicellulose, this research therefore aimed at studying fungal cellulase produced by Penicillium expansum grown on malus domestica (apple fruits). Fresh apple fruit was allowed to deteriorate under laboratory condition until there was visible mould growth. The mould with desired features of the organism of interest was subcultured by direct plating on PDA plates to which 10 % streptomycin has been added to prevent bacterial contaminants. The plates were incubated at 28±2 0C for 7 days until a visible mass of blue mycelia appear. The isolate was further subcultured onto freshly prepared media until pure culture was obtained. Characterization and identification of isolate were done using macroscopy and microscopy techniques. The isolate was re-inoculated into healthy apple fruits and the fruits were incubated at temperature of 28±2 oC for 8 days. Cellulolytic activity was examined every day throughout the incubation period. Crude enzyme was extracted each day using standard methods. Carboxyl methyl cellulose was used as standard for the crude cellulase activity assay after extraction from the infected apple fruits using Dinitrosalicylic acid (DNSA). Culture parameters like pH and temperature were also optimized to determine their effect on cellulolytic activity of the fungus. Cellulase activity was defined as the amount of glucose produced in μmol/mg/min under the assay condition. The highest cellulase activity of 86.84±0.52 μmol/mg/min was observed on day 6 of incubation at 28±2 oC and at pH 7. In conclusion, it is evident from this research that P. expansum isolated could be used as potential novel organism for industrial production of cellulase under optimized fermentation conditions.

Fresh fruits are highly valued by consumers worldwide, owing to their delicious flavors, abundant nutrients, and health-promoting characteristics, and as such, fruits make up an important component of a healthy diet. The postharvest quality and safety of fresh fruit involve complex interactions among the fruit, environmental factors, and postharvest pathogens. Efficient regulation of fruit senescence and pathogen resistance, as well as disease-causing abilities of postharvest pathogens, is critical to understanding the fundamental mechanisms that underlie fruit quality and safety. This paper provides a comprehensive review of recent advances and currently available strategies for maintaining fruit quality and controlling major postharvest pathogens, mainly Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium expansum, which may promote sustainable and environmental-friendly development of the fruit industry.

The mycotoxin patulin is primarily produced as a secondary metabolite by numerous fungal species and predominantly by Aspergillus, Byssochlamys, and Penicillium species. It is generally associated with fungal infected food materials. Penicillium expansum is considered the only fungal species liable for patulin contamination in pome fruits, especially in apples and apple-based products. This toxin in food poses serious health concerns and economic threat, which has aroused the need to adopt effective detection and mitigation strategies. Understanding its origin sources and biosynthetic mechanism stands essential for efficiently designing a management strategy against this fungal contamination. This review aims to present an updated outline of the sources of patulin occurrence in different foods and their biosynthetic mechanisms. It further provides information regarding the detrimental effects of patulin on human and agriculture as well as its effective detection, management, and control strategies.

Disease incidence and disease severity of avocado fruit rot were assessed on cv. Hass and cv. Fuerte during 2019 and 2020 growing seasons. The highest percentages of disease incidence and disease severity were recorded in cv. fuerte in the market at El-Qanater El-Khayria, Qaliobia Governorate. On the other hand, the lowest percentages of disease incidence and disease severity were recorded in cv. Hass in the field at El- Rahawy, Giza Governorate during the two growing seasons. Four different fungi, i.e., Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Fusarium moniliforme and Penicillium expansum were isolated from the naturally infected avocado fruits in the surveyed regions. Pathogenicity tests showed that the maximum percentage of disease severity on cv. Hass and cv. Fuerte resulted from infection by L. theobromae, followed by C. gloeosporioides, while the lowest percentage of disease severity was incited byP. expansum. The efficacy of alternative products namely essential oils of Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus L.), Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) and Thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) and Serenade ASO (Bacillus subtilis QST713) was evaluated in in vitro and in vivo as well as under field conditions for controlling fruit rot of avocado comparing with Imazalil, Copper oxide and Copper oxide nanoparticles. Complete inhibition of colony growth and protection from fruit rot was recorded with essential oils and Copper oxide at concentration of 3 ml or g/L of each. Meanwhile, the same effect was recorded at concentration of 1 ml/ L in case of Imazalil, Copper oxide nanoparticles and Serenade ASO. However, under field conditions, Copper oxide nanoparticles and Imazalil gave the highest efficacy for controlling avocado fruit rot disease, followed by Serenade ASO, Copper oxide and Thyme, while the lowest efficacy was recorded when trees sprayed with Lemongrass and Rosemary, respectively. The results indicated that avocado fruit rot disease could be controlled using suitable concentration of the tested treatments.

BACKGROUND: Postharvest diseases in fruits and vegetables are one of the major problems in storing them as a fresh agri-product. This study aimed to investigate the antifungal activity of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) aqueous extract against the Penicillium expansum and the Penicillium digitatum in apple and tangerine fruits as well as their postharvest decay during storage time. METHODS: The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the molds, and the decay inhibition percentage (%DI) with the P.expansum for apple and P.digitatum for tangerine after treatment with licorice aqueous extract were measured. Additionally, the lesion diameter, titratable acidity (TA), total soluble solids (TSS), pH, and organoleptic properties were determined. RESULTS: The growth of molds was almost inhibited at the concentration of 62.5 mg/mL. The ability of licorice aqueous extract to significantly control and reduce the growth of P. expansum in apple by 60 and 20 % after 7 days and 21 days of storage time was proved, respectively. Furthermore, significant differences in pH and TSS (p

Mold growth is among the major causes of health impairment of cereals, in particular durum wheat (Triticum durum) for the synthesis of mycotoxins such as aflatoxins B1 and ochratoxin A (OTA), originally from poisoning in the consumer. In this context, the objectives of this work is the search and characterization of fungal strains Producers mycotoxins such as Aspergillus, Penicillium in semolina and their derivatives (traditional and industrial couscous) and detect and quantify total aflatoxins, aflatoxins B1 and ochratoxin mycotoxicologique to assess the risk associated with the consumption of these foods. In this regard, our work focuses on mycological and mycotoxicologique study of semolina and couscous deemed most commercialized in the town of Bechar-Algeria after a socio-economic survey. The mycological study testifies the high degree of pollution of our samples by Aspergillus, Penicillium. The expertise of genera reveals the high degree of invasion of our samples by Aspergillus, Penicillium. The examination of fungal procession characterizing our samples shows a very high index of distribution, or of fidelity of Penicillium 43.75% of our sample and 28.38% Aspergillus. The presence of these species is evidence that our samples have been abused, but especially poorly stored; should be noted the involvement of the genera Alternaria 7.10%, Fusarium 13.70%. Thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) analysis revealed that 50% of Aspergillus flavus-parasiticus strains were aflatoxin G-producing and aflatoxin B-free in our samples. Of the Aspergillus ochraceus strains 50% were OTA producers. The presumption of toxicity of the various samples appeared positive on TLC. The test of Elisa has confirmed the presence of the OTA in our samples, the analysis of its results shows that the majority of the rates of OTA taken on our analyzed samples follow the European standard, these rates are between 1.01 and 1.9, except for one sample (couscous) which has shown a rate much higher than the standard recommended by the regulation (> 100 ppb), the samples of semolina had a rate of OTA lower than the beginning of the detection (1 ppb). The results of the presence of AFB spread out between 4.93 ppb and > 40 ppb. The antifungal activity of the resin of Boswellia carterii was tested on the following strains: Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium expansum. And kneaded according to the technique of diagonal growth on intermediate solid medium (PDA). The results showed that the yield of the aqueous extract varied between 96.2 and 99.8%. The results of the extracts also showed activity against the fungi studied 48.6% and 96.2%.

Penicillium expansum Link causes an economically important postharvest blue mold disease in a number of fruits and vegetables. In the present study, this fungus was isolated from rotted grapes and identified on morphological basis. Identification of the pathogen was further confirmed on molecular basis by using four different primer pairs namely ITS, β-tubulin, CMD and CF under accession numbers MN752155, MN787831, MN787832 and MN787833, respectively. Leaf extract of Chenopodium murale was assessed for its potential to control in vitro growth of P. expansum. For this purpose, leaves were extracted in methanol and after evaporation of the solvent, the resulting extract was successively partitioned with n- hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and n- butanol followed by antifungal bioassays with different concentrations (1.562 to 200 mg mL -1 ) each organic solvent fraction. Although all the fractions variably controlled the fungal pathogen, however, n- butanol fraction showed the highest antifungal activity causing 45–86% reduction in biomass of the pathogen. Ethyl acetate fraction was also highly antifungal and reduced fungal biomass by 44–81%. Chloroform and n- hexane fractions were comparatively less effective and reduced biomass of P. expansum by 30–72% and 11–44%, respectively. This study concludes that ethyl acetate and n- butanol fractions are highly antifungal in nature against P. expansum.

Blue mold decay is the one of most important postharvest disease of apples caused by the fungus, Penicillium expansum. This study aimed to investigate the biocontrol efficacy of the yeast, Wickerhamomyces anomalus, on postharvest blue mold decay of apples and the relative defense mechanisms. The results indicated that W. anomalus could significantly reduce the blue mold decay of apples, and the maximum inhibition was obtained when the concentration of W. anomalus was 1 × 108 cells ml−1. Furthermore, W. anomalus significantly reduced the fruit decay under ambient conditions, without generating any change in fruit quality. In vitro experiments showed that W. anomalus greatly inhibited the spore germination and germ tube elongation of P. expansum. Besides, its ease of adaptation, stable growth and potential colonization of in apple wounds or surfaces indicated that W. anomalus could compete with P. expansum for nutrients and space, leading to considerable inhibition blue mold decay. W. anomalus significantly induced the activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in apples. Moreover, W. anomalus increased the contents of flavonoid and total phenols. All these results suggested that W. anomalus has potential biocontrol efficacy to control the postharvest blue mold decay of apples

Penicillium is one of the most important postharvest pathogens of citrus fruits worldwide. It induces blue or green mold disease, a decay that can lead to significant economic losses during storage. Based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences, seven Penicillium species and one closely related Talaromyces variabilis were identified from 30 rotten samples of citrus fruits marketed in Qena. Penicillium expansum was the most common species, recovered from 16.7% of the samples, followed by P. chrysogenum (10%) and P. polonicum (10%). Sixteen isolates were tested through inoculation on healthy citrus fruits; the data exhibited that 68.7% of isolates were highly virulent. A “Specific Gene Random Primer Polymerase Chain Reaction (SGRP-PCR)” marker technique indicated that the genetic similarity among P. expasum ranged from 49.4 to 85.7%, and a relatively correlation was found between SGRP band profile and species origin. Patulin was detected in 40% of P. expansum isolates. This study provided a useful molecular approach to identify different Penicillium species by sequencing ITS region, focus on the pathogenicity, compare between P. expansum isolates and their ability in patulin production.

The widespread use of harmful fungicides in the agricultural sector has led to a demand for safer alternatives to protect against crop pathogens. The domestic apple is the second most highly consumed fruit in the world and encounters several pre- and post-harvest fungal and bacterial phytopathogens. The goal of this study was to explore the uncharacterized microbiome of a wild apple, Malus trilobata, as a potential source of novel biocontrol agents for two post-harvest fungi that affect commercial apples: Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium expansum. We sampled microflora associated with the leaves, bulk soil, and roots of Malus trilobata in two regions of Lebanon: Ehden reserve in the north and Dhour EL Choueir near Beirut. The two regions have different soil types Dhour EL Choueir and samples from the two regions showed very different microbial compositions, with greater microbial diversity among those from Ehden reserve. Molecular characterization revealed a wide variety of genera displaying activity against the two fungal pathogens, including several with previously unknown antifungal activity: Bosea, Microlunatus, Microbacterium, Mycetecola, Rhizobium and Paraphoma. In total, 92 strains inhibited Penicillium expansum (39%) and 87 strains inhibited Botrytis cinerea (38%) out of 237 screened. Further chemical and genetic characterization of one or more selected strains could pave the way for future development of new biocontrol agents for post-harvest applications.

Blue mold caused by Penicillium expansum is one of the most significant postharvest diseases of apples. Some microorganisms associated with the surface of ripening apples possess the ability to inhibit the growth of P. expansum. However, the existing literature about their colonization in the stages before ripening is not explored in depth. This study aims to characterize the antagonistic capacity of bacterial populations from five fruit development stages of ‘Royal Gala’ apples. The results have shown that the density of the bacterial populations decreases throughout the ripening stages of fruit (from 1.0 × 105 to 1.1 × 101 cfu/cm2). A total of 25 bacterial morphotypes (corresponding to five genera identified by 16S RNA) were differentiated in which Bacillus stood out as a predominant genus. In the in vitro antagonism tests, 10 Bacillus strains (40%) inhibited the mycelial growth of P. expansum from 30.1% to 60.1%, while in fruit bioassays, the same strains reduced the fruit rot ranging from 12% to 66%. Moreover, the bacterial strains with antagonistic activity increased in the ripening fruit stage. B. subtilis subsp. spiziennii M24 obtained the highest antagonistic activity (66.9% of rot reduction). The matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization- time of flight mass spectrometry analysis revealed that bacteria with antagonistic activity produce antifungal lipopeptides from iturin and fengycin families.

Background In the postharvest handling of horticultural commodities, plant extracts with fungicidal activity are a valid alternative to synthetic fungicides. The fungicidal activity of myrtle leaf extracts from eight cultivars was studied in vitro against Penicillium digitatum, Penicillium italicum, and Penicillium expansum and on artificially inoculated mandarins with green and blue molds during storage for 12 days at 20 °C and 90% RH. Results Hydroxybenzoic acids, hydrolysable tannins, and flavonols were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Despite sharing the same phenolic profile, extracts of eight myrtle cultivars significantly differed in the concentration of phenolics. Hydrolysable tannins are the principal subclass representing nearly 44.9% of the total polyphenols, whereas myricitrin was the most abundant flavonol in all cultivars. Myrtle extracts strongly inhibited conidial germination of the pathogens tested, although the greatest efficacy was observed against P. digitatum. At a concentration of 20 g L-1 , all the extracts completely inhibited fungi growth; only 'Angela', 'Tonina' and 'Grazia' extracts were effective at lower concentrations (15 g L-1 ). On inoculated fruit, myrtle extracts significantly controlled rot development. As a preventive treatment, 'Ilaria' and 'Maria Rita' extracts significantly reduced the rate of fruit with green mold decay lesions. When applied as a curative treatment, all the exacts decreased the incidence of decay. Against P. italicum, all the extracts applied as preventive treatments controlled decay effectively, while as curative treatment some of the extracts were not effective. All the extracts reduced the size of the infected areas. Conclusion The results propose myrtle extracts as a possible natural alternative to synthetic fungicides. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

In this study, green and eco-friendly biosynthesis of selenium nanoparticles (Se-NPs) were performed using Penicillium expansum ATTC 36200 for multiple biomedical applications. Mycosynthesized Se-NPs were completely characterized using UV, FT-IR, XRD, SEM, and TEM techniques. Se-NPs biosynthesized by P. expansum was characterized as a spherical shape with average size 4 to 12.7 nm. Moreover, Se-NPs were evaluated for multiple biomedical applications as antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer activities and hemocompatibility. Results illustrated that Se-NPs have potential antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis ATCC6051 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC23235), Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli ATCC8739and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC9027), fungi (Candida albicans ATCC90028, Aspergillus niger RCMB 02724 and Aspergillus fumigatus RCMB 02568), and antioxidant activity. Additionally, Se-NPs exhibited anticancer activity against PC3 cell line; IC50 was 99.25 μg/mL. Meanwhile, they showed non-hemolytic activity on human RBCs at concentration up to 250 μg/mL. In conclusion, biosynthetic Se-NPs by P. expansum are promising for many safe-use biomedical applications.

O controle de pragas agricolas e fundamental para elevar a producao das lavouras e reduzir as perdas no armazenamento. O foco na producao sustentavel de alimentos coloca os produtos naturais em destaque, sendo utilizados em formulacoes destinadas especialmente a agropecuaria orgânica. Oleos e extratos de plantas podem inibir crescimento de diversos organismos, incluindo fungos que atacam culturas de alto impacto economico. O oleo essencial de Thymus vulgaris foi estudado para verificar seu potencial emprego no controle dos fungos Aspergillus niger , Penicillium expansum , Sclerotinia sclerotiorum e Sclerotium rolfsii . A composicao quimica deste oleo foi determinada por cromatografia gasosa acoplada a espectrometria de massas e a atividade antifungica avaliada pela tecnica poison food . Foram encontradas 23 substâncias no oleo comercial de T. vulgaris , dentre elas: p-cimeno (23,75%), timol (21,78%) e carvacrol (26,14 %). O oleo essencial exibiu potente atividade antifungica frente aos quatro fungos, com inibicoes de 100% no crescimento micelial para as concentracoes de 0,1 % e 0,05 %.

Mandarin fruits are one of the most popular among the Citrus genus. They are consumed because of their nutritional and health benefits, as well as pleasant taste and smell. This paper describes the identification and characterization of Penicillium expansum, isolated from molded mandarin fruits. The obtained isolates were cultivated on five media [Czapek Yeast Autolysate agar (CYA), MEA (Malt extract agar), Creatine sucrose agar (CREA), Yeast extract sucrose agar (YES), and Oatmeal agar (OA)] and at five different incubation temperatures (5, 15, 25, 30, and 37 ?C). Isolates were sequenced for two molecular loci: internal transcribed spacer and beta-tubulin. Based on the results from morphological, physiological, molecular, and phylogenetic analyses, the recovered isolates were identified as P. expansum. The isolated species was confirmed as pathogenic to mandarin fruits in a pathogenicity test. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of P. expansum as a postharvest pathogen of mandarin fruit in Serbia.

Among the postharvest pathogens of apple fruit, Penicillium expansum (P.expansum) is considered to be one of the most common fungal pathogens worldwide. It is the causal agent of blue mold decay; the main serious economically disease of apple fruits, and the main producer of patulin (PAT). The principal objective of this work was to evaluate the aggressiveness and the PAT production of three isolated strains from apples produced in the East of Algeria. These strains were isolated then screened for their inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis (18 mm and 18 mm for S7; 10 mm and 11mm for S3), as well as their ability to cause blue rot (S4). The three strains S7, S3, and S4 (MN904448, MT023795 and MN904449, respectively) were identified as P. expansum by ITS1, ITS4, and β-tubulin gene sequences analysis. The in vitro ability to produce PAT was confirmed by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of strains’ crude extracts cul-tured on YES (Yeast-Extract-Sucrose) medium. Indeed, these strains exhibited a great capacity to cause blue mold decay for all tested apples (26 to 52 mm lesion diameter), after nine days of incubation at 25°C. Apples rotten area analysis that was performed by UPLC analysis revealed that these three strains were able to produce PAT at different concentrations ranging from 0.57 to 469 μg/mL. Thus, these strains constitute a risk to consumer health because these amounts exceed the permissive level of PAT.

The fruit of Carica papaya (pawpaw) is an important crop widely grown around the world. Isolation and control of fungi associated with spoiled pawpaw in the Mubi main market were carried out. A total of twenty (20) pawpaw fruits were collected from four locations, the isolation and characterization were done using standard procedure. The result revealed that four fungi cause pawpaw spoilage in the study area (Aspergillus niger, Penicillium expansum, Mucos spp and Rhizopus stolonifer) and were confirmed through a pathogenicity test. Location3 of the main market showed the highest disease incidence of 50%; location 2 the least with 20%. The efficacy of leaf extract of S. acuta was tested for antifungal activities against the four isolates and was positive as the zone of inhibition by the extract increases with an increase in concentration. It can be concluded that A. niger, P. expansum, Mucos spp and R. stolonifer were pathogens responsible for C. papaya fruit rot in Mubi main market. S. acuta leaf extract was able to restrain the growth of the pathogens. Further research should be carried out to determine the phytochemical present in the leaf extract of S. acuta and also to identify the active components in the plants.

A total of 13 samples of grapes (bunches) without apparent fungal contamination were analyzed. The samples were collected during the 2019 harvest from Vrbové village in the Small Carpathian region of Slovakia. For the isolation of fungi were used the direct plating technique on DRBC plates. The plates were incubated aerobically at 25 ±1 °C for one week in the dark. The data obtained from the cultivation of the grape berry samples revealed a high diversity of fungal species (a total of 1044 isolates were obtained). Alternaria and Rhizopus were the main components of the wine grape mycobiota of the Vrbovský subregion at harvest time (92%, each), followed by Cladosporium (85%), Penicillium (77%), Botrytis and Epicoccum (54%, each). The most abundant genera found by descending order were Penicillium (25%), Alternaria (24%), Cladosporium (20%), and Rhizopus (12%) and only in minor percentage by Aspergillus (3%) among others. The main fungal species isolated from genera Penicillium and Aspergillus were Penicillium expansum (57% RD) and A. section Nigri (97% RD). Of 17 analyzed Penicillium strains, 65% were able to produce at least one of the six mycotoxins analyzed in in vitro conditions by means of thin-layer chromatography method: citrinin, griseofulvin, patulin, cyclopiazonic acid, penitrem A, and roquefortin C.

Blue mould, caused primarily by Penicillium expansum, is a major threat to the global pome fruit industry, causing multimillion‐dollar losses annually. The blue mould fungus negatively affects fruit quality, thereby reducing fresh fruit consumption, and significantly contributes to food loss. P. expansum also produces an array of mycotoxins that are detrimental to human health. Management options are limited and the emergence of fungicide‐resistant Penicillium spp. makes disease management difficult, therefore new approaches and tools are needed to combat blue mould in storage. This species profile comprises a comprehensive literature review of this aggressive pathogen associated with pomes (apple, pear, quince), focusing on biology, mechanisms of disease, control, genomics, and the newest developments in disease management. Taxonomy Penicillium expansum Link 1809. Domain Eukaryota, Kingdom Fungi, Phylum Ascomycota, Subphylum Pezizomycotina, Class Eurotiomycetes, Subclass: Eurotiomycetidae, Order Eurotiales; Family Trichocomaceae, Genus Penicillium, Species expansum. Biology A wide host range necrotrophic postharvest pathogen that requires a wound (e.g., stem pull, punctures, bruises, shoulder cracks) or natural openings (e.g., lenticel, stem end, calyx sinus) to gain ingress and infect. Toxins Patulin, citrinin, chaetoglobosins, communesins, roquefortine C, expansolides A and B, ochratoxin A, penitrem A, rubratoxin B, and penicillic acid. Host range Primarily apples, European pear, Asian pear, medlar, and quince. Blue mould has also been reported on stone fruits (cherry, plum, peach), small fruits (grape, strawberry, kiwi), and hazel nut. Disease symptoms Blue mould initially appears as light tan to dark brown circular lesions with a defined margin between the decayed and healthy tissues. The decayed tissue is soft and watery, and blue‐green spore masses appear on the decayed area, starting at the infection site and radiating outward as the decayed area ages. Disease control Preharvest fungicides with postharvest activity and postharvest fungicides are primarily used to control decay. Orchard and packinghouse sanitation methods are also critical components of an integrated pest management strategy. Useful websites Penn State Tree Fruit Production Guide (https://extension.psu.edu/forage‐and‐food‐crops/fruit), Washington State Comprehensive Tree Fruit (http://treefruit.wsu.edu/crop‐protection/disease‐management/blue‐mold/), The Apple Rot Doctor (https://waynejurick.wixsite.com/applerotdr), penicillium expansum genome sequences and resources (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genome/browse/#!/eukaryotes/11336/)., This article is a synthesis and compilation of the latest information on the mycotoxingenic blue mould fungus from multiple perspectives that entail omics, biology, and tools for decay control.

Penicillium expansum is a necrotrophic plant pathogen with a wide range of fruit hosts. It causes blue mold rot during fruit storage, transport, and sale, resulting in huge economic losses to the fruit industry. Moreover, this pathogen is also the main producer of patulin, a toxic secondary metabolite that contaminates fruit and fruit-derived products and impairs human health. Therefore, understanding molecular basis of the pathogenicity and patulin biosynthesis of the fungal pathogen has important scientific significance and also plays an important guiding role in the research and development of new control technologies. Here, we comprehensively summarize the recent research progress, particularly regarding the molecular aspects of pathogenicity, patulin biosynthesis, and the related regulatory mechanisms, as well as control technologies for blue mold rot in the fruit industry.

Fungal pathogens cause surface contamination and potential premature fruit spoilage of bambinella, a fruit endemic to the Maltese islands, leading to the loss of fruit during the postharvest phase. The objective of this study was to isolate, quantify, and characterize fungal contaminants of the small Maltese June Pear and describe their growth kinetics. In total, 284 fungicide-free fruits were collected over three consecutive summers (2014, 2015, 2016). The isolated fungi were identified by using forward and reverse colonial morphology. Species identification was determined using PCR-based methods. The number of CFU per square centimeter of bambinella outer skin was calculated. Mycelium diameter growth rate studies of the isolates were also carried out at seven different temperatures, ranging from 5 to 358C. Fungi isolated from bambinella included Cladosporium ramotenellum, Alternaria arborescens, Penicillium lanosum, Penicillium expansum, and Aspergillus sydowii, listed from the most abundant to the least abundant. The Rosso model was fitted to the growth kinetic data and showed that the optimal temperatures for growth of all five fungi were in the range of 20 to 228C, whereas growth was slower at temperatures below 108C and above 308C. As observed in the diameter studies, the order of highest to lowest germination rate was found to be P. expansum, A. sydowii, P. lanosum, C. ramotenellum, and A. arborescens. Germination studies showed that the highest germination rate was observed for P. lanosum, followed by A. arborescens, C. ramotenellum, P. expansum, and A. sydowii, in descending order. The highest germination lag time was observed for A. arborescens, followed by C. ramotenellum, P. expansum, P. lanosum, and A. sydowii, in ascending order. This work was partly supported by COST Action CA15118 Mathematical and Computer Science Methods for Food Science and Industry (FoodMC). The authors acknowledge the project “Quantitative Tools for Sustainable Food and Energy in the food chain (Q-Safe),” co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.

Penicillium expansum is a destructive phytopathogen causing postharvest decay on many stored fruits. To develop effective and safe management strategies, it is important to investigate its pathogenicity-related mechanisms. In this study, a bioinformatic pipeline was constructed and 50 core effector genes were identified in P. expansum using multiple RNA-seq data sets and their putative functions were implicated by comparatively homologous analyses using pathogen-host interaction database. To functionally characterize P. expansum LysM domain proteins during infection, null mutants for the 15 uncharacterized putative LysM effectors were constructed and the fungal growth rate on either PDA or Cazpek medium or lesion expansion rate on the infected apple fruits was evaluated. The results showed the growth rate of knockout mutants from PeLysM5, PeLysM12 and PeLysM15 was retarded on PDA medium. No significant difference in growth rate was observed between wild type and all mutants on solid Cazpek medium. Nevertheless, the hypha of wild type displayed deeper yellow on the back of Cazpek medium than those of knockout mutants. On the infecting apples fruits, the knockout mutants from PeLysM5, PeLysM7, PeLysM8, PeLysM9, PeLysM10, PeLysM11, PeLysM14, PeLysM15, PeLysM16, PeLysM18 and PeLysM19 showed enhanced fungal virulence, with faster decaying on infected fruits than those from wild type. By contrast, the knockout mutation at PeLysM12 locus led to reduced lesion expansion rate on the infected apple fruits. In addition, P. expansum-apple interaction RNA-seq experiment was performed using apple fruit tissues infected by the wild type and knockout mutant ΔPeLysM15, respectively. Transcriptome analyses indicated that deletion of PeLysM15 could activate expression of several core effector genes, such as PEX2_055830, PEX2_036960 and PEX2_108150, and a chitin-binding protein, PEX2_064520. These results suggest PeLysM15 may play pivotal roles in fungal growth and development and involve pathogen-host interaction by modulating other effector genes' expression. Our results could provide solid data reference and good candidates for further pathogen-related studies in P. expansum.

Nowadays, there is an increasing concern regarding the shelf life of food products, leading producers to research natural antimicrobial agents to use in food preparation. In this study, we evaluated the antifungal activity of Lactobacillus plantarum fermented whey and then added the whey during preparation of pita bread to study shelf-life improvement. The fermented whey showed a satisfactory inhibitory (antifungal) effect against Penicillium expansum and Penicillium brevicompactum strains: the minimum inhibitory and minimum fungicidal concentrations ranged from 3.9 to 39.0 g/L and from 62.5 to 250 g/L, respectively. Addition of fermented whey increased the shelf life of the pita bread. After inoculation of the bread surface with Penicillium, an increase in shelf life until d 8 was achieved compared with the positive control, whereas under natural contamination conditions, an extension of shelf life until d 19 was observed. In terms of antimicrobial activity, the greatest reduction (100%) in fungal growth was achieved when all of the water in the dough was replaced with fermented whey. An untrained sensory panel could not identify differences between bread produced with fermented whey and control pita breads. These results suggest the possibility of using fermented whey in food preservation.

Plants Suruhan ( Paperomia pellucida L. Kunth) has traditionally been used as a drug abscesses, boils acne, skin diseases, headaches, relieve pain in arthritic.Various properties owned by the plant Suruhan make this plant as a major commodity medicinal plants are cultivated by the people. Suruhan pharmacological function can not be separated because their secondary metabolites that allegedly resulted from their symbiosis with endophytic microbes such as fungi. Endophytic fungi are microscopic fungi that live intracellularly in the plant tissue without damaging the host. This study aimed to isolate and identify endophytic fungi on plant fruit organs errand. Isolation of endophytic fungi on errands obtained 15 isolates comprising of Fusarium sambucinum, Cladosporium cladosporoides, Cladophialophora sp. Myrothecium sp., Gliocladium sp., Penicillium expansum, Aspergillus sp., Aspergilus niger , Lichtheimia sphaerocystis dan Absidia corymbifera.

Aims To conduct biological investigations and to evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the essential oils (EOs) extracted from Juniperus communis, J. scopulorum and J. horizontalis; to screen their mechanisms of action by conducting the cell membrane permeability assay (CMP); and to determine the possible cytotoxicity of the three EOs against human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y). Methods and results The antifungal activity was tested against four phytopathogenic fungi (Monilinia fructicola, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium expansum and Botrytis cinerea). The antibacterial activity was evaluated against two Gram-positive (G+ve) (Bacillus megaterium and Clavibacter michiganensis) and three Gram-negative (G-ve) bacterial strains (Pseudomonas fluorescens, P. syringae pv. phaseolicola and Xanthomonas campestris). Results showed that the three tested EOs have antifungal activity against M. fructicola and P. expansum and effective antibacterial activity against P. syringae pv. phaseolicola and B. megaterium. Moreover, the three EOs were evaluated for their ability to inhibit the growth of SH-SY5Y cells with MTT assay. J. communis EO was the more effective with an IC50 of 53·7 μg ml-1 . The antioxidant capacity of the three EO did not differ as measured by the DPPH assay. Conclusions The three tested juniper EOs showed promising antimicrobial and antioxidant activity and cytotoxic effects against human neuroblastoma cell line. Significance and impact of the study The outfindings from this research showed promising antimicrobial effects of the three oils against the majority of the tested phytopathogens with a potential to utilize them as natural alternatives to synthetic drugs, the cause of global environmental problems, pathogen resistance and difficulty to control many post-harvest plant diseases.

Epiphytic yeasts were isolated from different cultivars of apples and lemons and identified by a combination of PCR-RFLP of 5.8S rRNA region and sequencing of D1/D2 domain of the 26S rRNA gene. Among 69 isolates, Aureobasidium pullulans GE17 and Meyerozyma guilliermondii KL3 strains showed the greatest antagonistic activity against two significant apple and lemon postharvest pathogens, Penicillium expansum DSM62841 (blue mold) and Penicillium digitatum DSM2750 (green mold), after preliminary screening. Yeasts were applied as single and mixed cultures with two different cell concentrations of 106 and 108 cells/ml in the present study. It was determined that antagonistic activity of two yeast strains studied emerged with a combination of several mechanisms of action including competition for space and nutrients, production of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), secretion of extracellular lytic enzymes and inhibition of fungal spore germination. The highest inhibition of mycelial growth on P. expansum DSM62841 and P. digitatum DSM2750 (83.4% and 74.7%, respectively) was achieved by utilization of single culture of A. pullulans GE17. Otherwise, the application of mixed culture at the ratio of 108 cells/ml inhibited spore germination of both pathogens from 86% to 95%. Results of this study suggest that an increase in yeast cell concentrations positively affected their biocontrol activity against blue and green molds. According to the results, employing single culture of M. guilliermondii KL3 did not exhibit effective antagonistic activity against blue and green molds. However, utilization of A. pullulans GE17 alone and mixed culture showed succesfull controlling against both P. expansum DSM62841 and P. digitatum DSM2750.

Antifungal compounds are of interest to reduce commodity spoilage and exposure to mycotoxins. In this study, a series of quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) equations based on topological properties were developed to gain insight into the antifungal activities of phenolic compounds. The molecules were geometry optimized using B3LYP/6-311+G** density functional theory calculations. Analysis of the frontier orbital properties revealed that conjugated phenolic compounds possessed smaller band gap energies. Genetic function approximation (GFA) on populations of 100 one to two descriptor models over 10,000 generations identified several models for antifungal activity against Fusarium verticillioides, Fusarium oxysporum, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Penicillium expansum, and Penicillium brevicompactum. Phenolic compounds with greater antifungal activity possessed a lower electrophilicity index. The correlation coefficients for the one and two descriptor models ranged from 0.627 to 0.790 and 0.762 to 0.939, respectively. Molecular descriptors associated with electrostatic and topological properties are important to describe the antifungal activities of the phenolic compounds studied.

Bacteria, yeasts and microscopic fungi, which are live and grow normally on the grape surfaces, are important for winemaking. The aim of this study was to investigate the microbiota of the Tokaj wines grapes of Slovak origin. The total bacterial count ranged from 2.48 log cfu/g to 4.52 log cfu/g. Malt Extract Agar (MEA) with acid base indicator bromocresol green was used for cultivation of yeast and microscopic fungi and the number of this microorganisms ranged from 1.11 log cfu/g to 4.16 log cfu/g. We found following bacterial species: Staphylococcus epidermidis, Micrococcus luteus, Paenibacillus pasadenensis and Sphingomonas sp. Identified yeasts species included Candida sorbose, Kloeckera apiculata, Metschnikowia pulcherrima, Rhodotorula glutinis, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. From microscopic fungi were isolated: Alternaria sp., Arthrinium sp., Aspergillus niger, Aureobasidium pullulans, Botrytis cinerea, Cladosporium sp., Eurotium sp., Geotrichum candidum, Penicillium expansum, Penicillium sp. and Rhizopus sp. The most dominant species of Tokaj grape were Kloeckera apiculata and Metchnikowia pulcherrima.

Bu çalışmada, borik asitin Penicillium expansum’a karşı etkinliği hem in vitro hem de in vivo koşullarda değerlendirilmiştir. In vitro’da, borik asitin %0.125 konsantrasyonu P. expansum’un misel gelişmesini, spor çimlenmesini ve çim tüpü uzunluğunu sırasıyla %68.88, %74.00 ve %85.50 oranında azaltmış, halbuki daha yüksek konsantrasyonlar (%0.25, %0.50, %1.00 ve %2.00)’ı ise tamamen engellemiştir. Ayrıca borik asitin yukarıda belirtilen ilk konsantrasyonu ve sonraki konsantrasyonlarının etkileri arasındaki fark istatistiksel olarak önemli bulunmuştur (P%2 olarak belirlenmiştir. In vivo denemelerde, borik asitin %0.25 konsantrasyonu hariç, diğer tüm konsantrasyonlar (%0.50, %1.00 ve %2.00)’ı hem koruyucu hem de tedavi edici etki göstermişler ve bu konsantrasyonlar mavi küfün hastalık şiddetini patojen ile inokule edilmiş kontrole kıyasla önemli ölçüde azaltmıştır (P

Cassava peels are waste generated from cassava processing and are mostly disposed of in Nigeria by dumping indiscriminately in landfills/waste dumps where they remain as huge mounds and constitute nuisance to the environment. This study was carried out using cassava peels as substrate for the production of α – amylase from three fungi (Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger and Penicillium expansum) selected from twelve microbial isolates obtained from biodegrading cassava peels. The fungi were isolated using cassava peel agar medium and the α – amylase was produced by the solid state fermentation process. The α – amylase was assayed by measuring the decrease in staining power of starch with iodine reagent at 620nm and purified by using Sephadex G-100 and Sephadex C-50. The α – amylase was characterized by examining the effect of temperature, stability at 70oC, pH, substrate concentration, metal ions and EDTA. The results show that the purification fold and specific activity were 95.727, 1.053 Units/mg protein; 81.830, 0.982 Units/mg protein and 85.784, 0.686 Units/mg protein for A. flavus, A. niger and P. expansum respectively. The optimum temperature and pH were 45oC and 4.5 respectively. It was observed that the α – amylase still retained some activity after heating at 70oC for 35 min. The α – amylase activity increased with increase in substrate concentration and metal ion concentration (Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+) but decreased with increase in heavy metal ion concentration (Hg2+ and Pb2+) and EDTA. Key words: Cassava peels, α – amylase, fungi, starch and Sephadex C – 50.

Antagonistic yeasts can inhibit fungal growth. In our previous research, Meyerozyma guilliermondii, one of the antagonistic yeasts, exhibited antagonistic activity against Penicillium expansum. However, the mechanisms, especially the molecular mechanisms of inhibiting activity of M. guilliermondii, are not clear. In this study, the protein expression profile and transcriptome characterization of P. expansum induced by M. guilliermondii were investigated. In P. expansum induced by M. guilliermondii, 66 proteins were identified as differentially expressed, among them six proteins were upregulated and 60 proteins were downregulated, which were associated with oxidative phosphorylation, ATP synthesis, basal metabolism, and response regulation. Simultaneously, a transcriptomic approach based on RNA-Seq was applied to annotate the genome of P. expansum and then studied the changes of gene expression in P. expansum treated with M. guilliermondii. The results showed that differentially expressed genes such as HEAT, Phosphoesterase, Polyketide synthase, ATPase, and Ras-association were significantly downregulated, in contrast to Cytochromes P450, Phosphatidate cytidylyltransferase, and Glutathione S-transferase, which were significantly upregulated. Interestingly, the downregulated differentially expressed proteins and genes have a corresponding relationship; these results revealed that these proteins and genes were important in the growth of P. expansum treated with M. guilliermondii.

The blue mold fungus, Penicillium expansum, is a postharvest apple pathogen that contributes to food waste by rotting fruit and by producing harmful mycotoxins (e.g. patulin). To identify genes controlling pathogen virulence, a random T-DNA insertional library was created from wild-type P. expansum strain R19. One transformant, T625, had reduced virulence in apples, blistered mycelial hyphae, and a T-DNA insertion that abolished transcription of the single copy locus in which it was inserted. The gene, Blistering1, encodes a protein with a DnaJ domain, but otherwise has little homology outside the Aspergillaceae, a family of fungi known for producing antibiotics, mycotoxins, and cheese. Because protein secretion is critical for these processes and for host infection, mass spectrometry was used to monitor proteins secreted into liquid media during fungal growth. T625 failed to secrete a set of enzymes that degrade plant cell walls, along with ones that synthesize the three final biosynthetic steps of patulin. Consequently, the culture broth of T625 had significantly reduced capacity to degrade apple tissue and contained 30 times less patulin. Quantitative mass spectrometry of 3,282 mycelial proteins revealed that T625 had altered cellular networks controlling protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, protein export, vesicle-mediated transport, and endocytosis. T625 also had reduced proteins controlling mRNA surveillance and RNA processing. Transmission electron microscopy of hyphal cross sections confirmed that T625 formed abnormally enlarged endosomes or vacuoles. These data reveal that Blistering1 affects internal and external protein processing involving vesicle-mediated transport in a family of fungi with medical, commercial, and agricultural importance.

Exogenous decanal can significantly inhibit the germination and development of postharvest pathogen Penicillium expansum in vitro. Through an iTRAQ-based analysis, a global view of proteomic alteration of P. expansum spores under decanal treatment was acquired. A total of 246 up-regulated and 293 down-regulated differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified. Among them, DEPs related to glutathione metabolism, ribosome, and oxidative phosphorylation pathway were noticed for their functional significance, large number and high rich value in pathway enrichment statistics. Further analysis found that, under decanal stress, expression of 9 genes corresponding to DEPs involved in the oxidative phosphorylation pathway showed a significantly decreasing trend, and activities of 3 crucial enzymes (NADH dehydrogenase, CoQ-Cytochrome c reductase, and F1F0-ATP synthetase) were inhibited. Also, a decreased in ATP content, reduction in the number of mitochondria, and weakening in carbohydrate consumption were detected. Based on these results, disturbance of oxidative phosphorylation would partly be responsible for the inhibitory effect of decanal on the growth of P. expansum. The findings would provide new insights into exploring the possible antifungal mechanisms of decanal.

In Khairpur, dates crop is damaged during rainy months of June, July and August as the rainy season provides favorable conditions for most of the microorganisms. Amongst different microorganisms, fungi are known as the severest pathogens. In the present study, phytopathogenic fungi associated with ripening fruits of different varieties of dates (Aseel, Khar and Kupro) were isolated and characterized. Three fungi viz. Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium expansum and Alternaria tenuis were isolated from the ripening fruits of date varieties. The fungus P. expansum was isolated from Kupro, A. tenuis from Aseel and A. flavus from Kupro.

Blue mold rot, caused by Penicillium expansum, is one of the most economically important post-harvest diseases of apple worldwide. The goals of this study were threefold: to evaluate the diversity of P. expansum isolates for mycelial growth, spore production and lesion diameter on apples; to estimate the effects of cold-storage facility conditions on P. expansum population structure; and to investigate the efficacy of three essential oils against P. expansum. The results showed that storage facilities applying fungicides and storing diverse fruit species selected for P. expansum isolates with a larger lesion diameter on apples. In addition, application of fungicides and diversification in stored fruit species significantly select for P. expansum isolates with higher levels of mycelial growth and spore production, respectively. Moreover, the diversity of host species of stored fruit accounted for 38% of the variability observed between storage facilities for the measured fitness parameters in P. expansum isolates and had a stronger effect on P. expansum population structure than fungicide treatment. Essential oils from Mentha pulegium and Syzygium aromaticum significantly decreased mycelial growth and spore production of P. expansum isolates in vitro. Mentha pulegium essential oil also significantly decreased the size of lesions associated with the blue mold rot of apples. Reducing the diversity of stored host species and applying M. pulegium essential oil may be useful in counter-selecting for aggressive P. expansum isolates and reducing losses due to blue mold rot during fruit storage.

Red yeasts grow on food wastes, show antagonistic activity against food-spoilage microorganisms, produce food supplements, and may be utilized as feed-supplements themselves to positively modulate the quali-quantitative composition of intestinal microbiota. Therefore, they show a variety of possible biotechnological applications in agri-food-related processes. Here, to further explore the biotechnological potential of red yeasts, eleven strains ascribed to different species of the genera Rhodotorula and Sporobolomyces, differing for biomass and carotenoids production, were characterized in vitro for biofilm formation, invasive growth, and growth at the temperature range of 20–40 °C and in vivo for their antagonistic activity against the fungal pathogen and patulin producer Penicillium expansum. Most of them formed cellular MAT and showed invasive growth as well as adhesion to plastic materials. Four strains determined a significant reduction of fruit decay caused by P. expansum on apple fruit while the remaining seven showed different degrees of biocontrol activity. Finally, none of them grew at body temperature (>37 °C). Statistical analyses of both qualitative and quantitative phenotypic data, including biomass and carotenoids production, gathered further information on the most interesting strains for the biotechnological exploitation of red yeasts in agri-food-related process.

Blue mold, caused by Penicillium spp., is one of the most economically important postharvest diseases of pome fruits, globally. Pome fruits, in particular apple, is the most widely grown pome fruit in Serbia, and the distribution of Penicillium spp. responsible for postharvest decay is unknown. A two-year survey was conducted in 2014 and 2015, where four pome fruits (apple, pear, quince, and medlar) with blue mold symptoms were collected from 20 storage locations throughout Serbia. Detailed morphological characterization, analysis of virulence in three apple cultivars, and multilocus phylogeny revealed three main Penicillium spp. in order of abundance: P. expansum, P. crustosum, and P. solitum. Interestingly, P. expansum split into two distinct clades with strong statistical support that coincided with several morphological observations. Findings from this study are significant and showed previously undocumented diversity in blue mold fungi responsible for postharvest decay including the first finding of P. crustosum, and P. solitum as postharvest pathogens of quince and P. crustosum of medlar fruit in the world, and P. expansum of quince in Serbia. Data from this study provide timely information regarding phenotypic, morphological and genotypic plasticity in P. expansum that will impact the design of species-specific detection tools and guide the development of blue mold management strategies.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating the efficiency of Allium sativum hydro-alcoholic extract (ASE) againstFigure growth, biofilm development, and soluble factor production of more than 200 biodeteriogenic microbial strains isolated from cultural heritage objects and buildings. The plant extract composition and antioxidant activities were determined spectrophotometrically and by HPLC–MS. The bioevaluation consisted of the qualitative (adapted diffusion method) and the quantitative evaluation of the inhibitory effect on planktonic growth (microdilution method), biofilm formation (violet crystal microtiter method), and production of microbial enzymes and organic acids. The garlic extract efficiency was correlated with microbial strain taxonomy and isolation source (the fungal strains isolated from paintings and paper and bacteria from wood, paper, and textiles were the most susceptible). The garlic extract contained thiosulfinate (307.66 ± 0.043 µM/g), flavonoids (64.33 ± 7.69 µg QE/g), and polyphenols (0.95 ± 0.011 mg GAE/g) as major compounds and demonstrated the highest efficiency against the Aspergillus versicolor (MIC 3.12–6.25 mg/mL), A. ochraceus (MIC: 3.12 mg/mL), Penicillium expansum (MIC 6.25–12.5 mg/mL), and A. niger (MIC 3.12–50 mg/mL) strains. The extract inhibited the adherence capacity (IIBG% 95.08–44.62%) and the production of cellulase, organic acids, and esterase. This eco-friendly solution shows promising potential for the conservation and safeguarding of tangible cultural heritage, successfully combating the biodeteriogenic microorganisms without undesirable side effects for the natural ecosystems.