Disease control during peach preservation with a berberine-chitosan composite membrane

摘要

Introduction. Peach brown rot caused by the fungus Monilinia fructicola is a major disease leading to considerable economic loss during storage. Our previous study uncovered the striking inhibition of the natural alkaloid berberine against M. fructicola. Materials and methods. A berberine-chitosan composite membrane (BCCM) able to slowly release berberine was prepared and used for peach preservation. The examined fruits were stored at 4 °C and treated as follows: (I) control fruits without packaging; (ii) fruits that were transiently immersed in pre-solidified BCCM liquid and taken out; (iii) fruit coating either with a BCCM, or with a membrane containing chitosan only (without berberine), and (iv) fruit coating with a PVC membrane. Results and discussion. The group immersed in BCCM showed a high infection rate due to the cytotoxicity of acetic acid, but the coating group showed only a 10% infection rate after 40 days of storage. Moreover, the BCCM-coating group showed a significantly lower infection rate than that coated with chitosan membrane (without berberine), clearly indicating the antimicrobial activity of berberine therein. Consequently, packed in BCCM and stored at 4 °C, peach fruits could be well preserved over 40 days with very low infection. Conclusion. Considering its safety and low cost, the berberine-containing chitosan composite membrane could be applicable in controlling diseases during peach storage.