Effects of Ozone Treatment on Botrytis cinerea and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in Relation to Horticultural Product Quality

• Published in: Journal of food science Vol. 74; no. 6; pp. M250 - M257
• Main Authors: Sharpe, Deana, Fan, Lihua, McRae, Ken, Walker, Brad, MacKay, Ron, Doucette, Craig
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Blackwell Publishing Inc 01.08.2009; Wiley; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Antifungal Agents - chemistry; antifungal properties; apples; Ascomycota - growth & development; Ascomycota - physiology; Atmosphere Exposure Chambers; Biological and medical sciences; Blueberry Plants - microbiology; Blueberry Plants - physiology; Botrytis - growth & development; Botrytis - physiology; Botrytis cinerea; carrots; chlorophyll; Chlorophyll - analysis; Colony Count, Microbial; color; Daucus; Daucus carota - microbiology; Daucus carota - physiology; disease incidence; Effects; Food industries; food plants; food processing; Food science; Fruit - microbiology; Fruit - physiology; Fruit and vegetable industries; fruit and vegetable quality; Fruits; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; fungal decay; fungal diseases of plants; fungal spores; Fungi; gaseous ozone; grapes; lesions (plant); Malus; Malus - microbiology; Malus - physiology; microbial growth; mycelium; Mycelium - growth & development; Oxidants, Photochemical - chemistry; Oxidation; ozone; Ozone - chemistry; Pigmentation; plant damage; plant pathogenic fungi; Plant Roots - microbiology; Plant Roots - physiology; postharvest diseases; postharvest treatment; Product quality; Quality Control; Sclerotinia sclerotiorum; small fruits; Spores, Fungal - growth & development; Temperature; Time Factors; Vaccinium; Vaccinium corymbosum; Vegetables; viability; Vitaceae; Vitis - microbiology; Vitis - physiology; Ascomycota; Fungi; gaseous ozone; Botrytis cinerea; Quality; Sclerotinia sclerotiorum; Ozone; fruit and vegetable quality; Fungi Imperfecti; Fruit vegetable; fungal decay
• ISSN: 0022-1147; 1750-3841
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2009.01234.x

Botrytis cinerea and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum are fungal pathogens that cause the decay of many fruits and vegetables. Ozone may be used as an antimicrobial agent to control the decay. The effect of gaseous ozone on spore viability of B. cinerea and mycelial growth of B. cinerea and S. sclerotiorum were investigated. Spore viability of B. cinerea was reduced by over 99.5% (P < 0.01) and height of the aerial mycelium was reduced from 4.7 mm in the control to less than 1 mm after exposure to 450 or 600 ppb ozone for 48 h at 20 °C. Sporulation of B. cinerea was also substantially inhibited by ozone treatments. However, ozone had no significant effect on mycelial growth of S. sclerotiorum in vitro. Decay and quality parameters including color, chlorophyll fluorescence (CF), and ozone injury were further assessed for various horticultural commodities (apple, grape, highbush blueberry, and carrot) treated with 450 ppb of ozone for 48 h at 20 °C over a period of 12 d. Lesion size and height of the aerial mycelium were significantly reduced by the ozone treatment on carrots inoculated with mycelial agar plugs of B. cinerea or S. sclerotiorum. Lesion size was also reduced on treated apples inoculated with 5 x 10⁶ spores/mL of B. cinerea, and decay incidence of treated grapes was reduced. The 450 ppb ozone for 48 h treatment had no significant effect on color of carrots and apples or on CF of apples and grapes. Ozone, an environmentally sound antimicrobial agent, inactivates microorganisms through oxidization and residual ozone spontaneously decomposes to nontoxic products. It may be applied to fruits and vegetables to reduce decay and extend shelf life.