Impact of vanillin on postharvest disease control of apple

Abstract

Apple fruits are susceptible to infection by postharvest fungal pathogens, which may cause fruit decay and severe economic losses. This study investigated the antifungal spectrum of vanillin against common decay pathogens of apple and explored the antifungal mechanisms of vanillin in vitro. In vivo experiments were carried out to evaluate the effects of vanillin on apple postharvest disease control and fruit quality. Moreover, the induced resistance mechanism of vanillin on apple fruit was preliminarily explored. The results showed that vanillin has broad-spectrum antifungal effects, especially on Alternaria alternata. Vanillin could significantly inhibit the growth rate, mycelium biomass, and spore germination of pathogenic fungi by increasing the cell membrane permeability and lipid peroxidation. Importantly, vanillin treatment reduced the incidence of apple decay caused by A. alternata and Penicillium expansum, and contributed to improve fruit quality. Further studies indicated that vanillin could induce elevation in the activities of defense-related enzymes in apple fruit, such as phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), chitinase (CHI) and β-1,3-glucanase (β-1,3-GA), and increase total phenols and flavonoids contents. Generally, these results suggest that vanillin may contribute to the induced resistance of apple fruits to pathogenic fungi. To conclude, the results of this research provide theoretical foundations for the application of vanillin in the control of apple postharvest decay caused by fungal pathogens.

Selenium Improves the Control Efficacy of Phytophthora nicotianae by Damaging the Cell Membrane System and Promoting Plant Energy Metabolism

“…The chitinase activity and β-1,3-GA activity of the PSe group were significantly increased compared to those of the P group, indicating that Se treatment improved the immune resistance of plants. Consistently, Wang et al demonstrated that the increased activity of these two enzymes enhances the resistance of plants to pathogen attack.…”

Vanillin in Resistant Tomato Plant Root Exudate Suppresses Meloidogyne incognita Parasitism

“…35,36 For example, it induces resistance to pathogenic fungi (Alternaria alternata) in apple fruit, and resistance against black rot (A. alternata) and gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) in cherry tomato fruit. 36,37 The antifungal mechanism of vanillin is mainly related to cell membrane destruction and pathogenic-related enzyme inhibition. 35−37 However, the control effects of vanillin in resistant plant root exudates on PPNs and their mechanisms have remained mostly unknown.…”

“…Vanillin is a phenolic aldehyde that is extracted from the vanilla bean; previous studies have shown that phenolic compounds can suppress RKNs. , Moreover, vanillin is one of the most widely used flavoring compounds in the food, perfume, and pharmaceutical industries worldwide due to its environmental safety. − Vanillin has many biological activities and has been used as an antimicrobial agent. , For example, it induces resistance to pathogenic fungi (Alternaria alternata) in apple fruit, and resistance against black rot (A. alternata) and gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) in cherry tomato fruit. , The antifungal mechanism of vanillin is mainly related to cell membrane destruction and pathogenic-related enzyme inhibition. − However, the control effects of vanillin in resistant plant root exudates on PPNs and their mechanisms have remained mostly unknown.…”

Overview of the control of plant fungal pathogens by natural products derived from medicinal plants

“…It was speculated that glabridin could act on ergosterol biosynthesis of pathogenic fungi, destroy the integrity of cell membrane structure, lead to abnormal transmembrane transport and affect the activity of intracellular enzymes, which resulted in the disorder of intracellular content and energy metabolism, the deformed mycelium morphologies, the inhibited growth and development and eventually death (Yang et al 2021a). Vanillin is a kind of organic phenolic aldehyde compound that widely exists in Vanilla planifolia, it relieves the symptoms of apple decay caused by A. alternata and P. expansum, and it could induce an elevation in the activities of defence-related enzymes in apple fruit, such as phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), chitinase (CHI) and β-1.3-glucanase (β-1.3-GA), and increase the contents of total phenols and flavonoids (Wang et al 2022). Matrine can effectively inhibit mycelial growth and spore germination and change the cell membrane permeability of B. dothidea by affecting the lipid peroxidation process (Pan 2018).…”