Chitosan coating of red table grapes and fresh-cut honey melons to inhibit Fusarium Oxysporum growth

Abstract

Chitosan is a modified, natural biopolymer derived by deacetylation of chitin. Mycelial growth of Penicillium chrysogenum, Fusarium oxysporum, Aspergillus parasiticus, As. fumigatus and As. niger was determined by measuring colony diameters on Petri plates. The red grape and honey melon samples inoculated with F. oxysporum were immersed into chitosan solution, and then kept at 4C for 7 days. The fungal isolates were tested using with seven concentrations of chitosan (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0%). The effective concentrations that require reducing the radial growth of the fungus on the media were determined as 57.6, 62.5 and 73.1% for Pe. chrysogenum, F. oxysporum and As. parasiticus, respectively. The chitosan coatings caused to decrease F. oxysporum growth in table grapes and honey melons and delayed changes in their external color. Chitosan is suitable to use as an antifungal edible film in the food industry in the near future.