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Potential of the biopolymer chitosan with different molecular weights to control

postharvest gray mold of tomato fruit

Chapter · February 2009

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Ibrahim Nassar Mohamed E. I. Badawy

Damanhour University Alexandria University
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Eman Rabea
Tanta University
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 Potential of the biopolymer chitosan with different molecular weights to control
postharvest gray mold of tomato fruit

January 2009,Vol., 51(1): 110-117.

Ibrahim Nassar, Badawy, M. E. I. and Rabea, E. I.

ABSTRACT

Gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea (Pers.) is the most economically important postharvest disease
of fruit and vegetables at harvest and during storage. Therefore the current study was conducted to
investigate the effectiveness of chitosan with different molecular weight on gray mold as in
vitro and in vivo in tomato fruit (Solanum lycopersicumL. var.lycopersicum) stored at different
temperatures. In an in vitro experiment, the result demonstrated that the antifungal activity
increased as the chitosan molecular weight decreased. In an in vivo study, chitosan treatments
significantly reduced fungal decay and all compounds with concentrations of 2000 and 4000 mg/L
exhibited complete control of the fungus in wound-inoculated fruit. Chitosan with a molecular weight
of 5.7×104 g/mol was the most effective compound among those tested. The result also revealed
that high chitosan concentrations correlated with low disease incidence regardless of storage
conditions. In addition to theantifungal activity, chitosan also had the potential for the elicitation of
defense markers, including total soluble phenolic compounds, polyphenoloxidase (PPO) activity and
total protein content. The result showed that chitosan treatment decreased the activity of PPO and
enhanced the total protein and phenolic compounds in wounded tomato fruit. These findings
suggest that the effects of chitosan with different molecular weights on gray mold in tomato fruit
may be associated with direct fungitoxic properties against the pathogen, and the elicitation of
biochemical defense responses in fruit.

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