PJB-2023-330
Inhibitory effect of yeast lytic enzymes on fungal pathogens and shelf-life extension of tomato fruit (Lycopersicon esculentum) at room temperature
Habiba, Sumara Shaheen, Rubina Noreen Areeb Anjum and Khan Hira
Abstract
Extracellular lytic enzymes are essential for combating phytopathogens as biological control agents. Consequently, an assessment was conducted to examine the lytic enzyme-producing capabilities of epiphytic yeast isolates. This assessment also included studying the In vitro antifungal activity and the biocontrol efficacies of yeast on the compositional attributes of stored tomato fruit. Out of the 25 yeast isolates evaluated for their potential to produce lytic enzymes, all exhibited positive β-1,3-glucanase activity. Additionally, isolates 2, 5, 15, 18, 21, and 25 showed positive chitinase activities. The yeast isolates successfully inhibited the In vitro growth of Fusarium solani and Alternaria alternata. Epiphytic yeast isolates (1, 5, 14, 15, 17, 18, 21, and 23) displayed strong In-vitro antifungal activities were further cultured in broths (107 CFU/mL) were applied to partially ripened tomato fruits and were stored at 21±2℃ with 20-75% relative humidity. Fruits treated with potassium sorbate (1% K-sorbate) served as the positive control set. The epiphytic yeast-treated fruits showed the least percent loss of weight (PLW), Total Soluble Solids (TSS), and decay percentage. The firmness of yeast-treated tomato fruit was higher compared to the control set. Although the lycopene content was higher in the control, a gradual upsurge in the amount of lycopene was noted in fruit treated with isolate 1, followed by isolate 21 on day 15. Maximum decay of the tomato fruit was observed in the control and positive control sets as compared to the yeast-treated fruit. This study suggests that the postharvest storage life and quality of tomato fruit can be maintained by utilizing epiphytic yeast, which is also known as the most suitable and potent biocontrol agent for controlling postharvest losses.
To Cite this article:
Habiba, S. Shaheen, R. Noreen, A. Anjum and K. Hira. 2025. Inhibitory effect of yeast lytic enzymes on fungal pathogens and shelf-life extension of tomato fruit (Lycopersicon esculentum) at room temperature. Pak. J. Bot., 57(4): DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30848/PJB2025-4(10)
Download
We Welcome Latest Research Articles In Field Of Botany The Pakistan Journal of Botany is an international journal .... Read More
