Effect of biocontrol agents Candida sake and Pantoea agglomerans on Penicillium expansum growth and patulin accumulation in apples.

Penicillium expansum is the major responsible of fruit pome decaying in cold storage. Apples spoiled by P. expansum are expected to contain patulin, a mycotoxin which is proven to affect human health. The use of chemicals is the most common procedure to prevent rots in postharvest but legislation is becoming more and more restrictive. The use of biocontrol agents (BCA) as an alternative tool is currently being proposed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of two BCA (Candida sake CPA-2 and Pantoea agglomerans CPA-1) on P. expansum growth and patulin accumulation in cold storage and further deck (ambient) storage. Wounded apples were inoculated with a cell suspension of either C. sake or P. agglomerans and with a P. expansum conidial suspension. Apples were cold stored at 1 degrees C until lesion diameter reached 2 or 4 cm. Half the apples of each treatment were further stored at 20 degrees C for three days before patulin analyses. Both BCA tested controlled blue rot and patulin accumulation during cold storage. The control of P. expansum growth was enhanced in C. sake treated apples. On the other side, control of patulin accumulation in P. agglomerans treated apples seemed to be more efficient. BCA treatment could not control blue rot and patulin accumulation during further storage at room temperature and in some cases, an increase in P. expansum aggressiveness was observed.