Aluminum chloride and sodium metabisulfite have shown high efficacy at low doses in controlling postharvest pathogens on potato tubers. Direct effects of these two salts included the loss of cell membrane integrity in exposed pathogens. In this work, four fungal potato pathogens were studied in order to elucidate the role of membrane lipids and lipid peroxidation in the relative sensitivity of microorganisms exposed to these salts. Inhibition of mycelial growth in these fungi varied considerably and revealed sensitivity groups within the tested fungi. Analysis of fatty acids in these fungi demonstrated that sensitivity was related to high intrinsic fatty acid unsaturation. When exposed to the antifungal salts, sensitive fungi demonstrated a loss of fatty acid unsaturation, which was accompanied by an elevation in malondialdehyde content (a biochemical marker of lipid peroxidation). Our data suggest that aluminum chloride and sodium metabisulfite could induce lipid peroxidation in sensitive fungi, which may promote the ensuing loss of integrity in the plasma membrane. This direct effect on fungal membranes may contribute, at least in part, to the observed antimicrobial effects of these two salts.Organic and inorganic salts are widely used in the food industry as preservatives and antimicrobials (26). These salts have a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity with low mammalian toxicity (22), possess biocompatibility (13), and are generally recognized as safe. Several studies suggest that salts represent an interesting alternative to synthetic fungicides and could find application for the control of plant pathogens (13,20,22), particularly in the case of postharvest diseases that directly affect foodstuffs that will be consumed by the public (12, 21). Recently, organic and inorganic salts have revealed efficacy against postharvest pathogens affecting potato tubers (12,20,21,22,32). Of the tested salts, aluminum chloride and sodium metabisulfite were among the most efficient in controlling potato dry rot (Fusarium sambucinum [20]), soft rot (Erwinia carotovora [32]), and silver scurf (Helminthosporium solani [12]).Recent microscopic work with different potato pathogens, including the gram-negative bacterium E. carotovora (32) and the fungus F. sambucinum (T. J. Avis, M. Michaud, and R. J. Tweddell, unpublished data), has demonstrated that aluminum chloride and sodium metabisulfite produce changes in both bacterial and fungal cells, leading to loss of membrane integrity. Theses results are in agreement with other studies that have postulated that, under certain conditions, aluminum chloride and sodium metabisulfite may act through cell disruption, compromised membrane permeability, and lipid peroxidation (1,3,6,15,17,34).In an effort to gain better insight into the mode of action of these salts and in an attempt to ascertain biochemical determinants in the implicated mechanisms, four fungal potato pathogens were assayed with regard to (i) sensitivity toward aluminum chloride and sodium metabisulfite, (ii) intrinsic...