Effective biocontrol of Botrytis cinerea by antifungal metabolites of Trichoderma reesei T1 for gray mold in postharvest tomato

Abstract

Botrytis cinerea is a serious fungal pathogen that causes gray mold in postharvest tomatoes, leading to voluminous economic losses during storage and transport. Trichoderma reesei T1 has demonstrated an enormous antagonistic activity against B. cinerea by 69.2 % in a dual culture assay. Both culture filtrates and ethyl acetate extract of T. reesei T1 exhibited strong inhibition on the growth, conidial germination, and germ tube elongation of the pathogen. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, constituting 74.64 % of the extract, was identified as the main component through GC–MS analysis. Gray mold incidence and severity in tomato fruits treated with the filtrates and extract were significantly reduced at all tested concentrations. For example, the disease severity was 8.6 % at 70 % from the filtrate, and 7.6 % at 10 mg mL⁻¹ from the extract after five days in fruits inoculated with B. cinerea. Furthermore, the content of total phenolic and flavonoid compounds in tomato fruits treated with filtrates and extract of T. reesei was remarkably higher levels compared to the untreated group as well as enhancing antioxidant activity during the whole experiment. The treatment with the filtrates and extract also increased the activities of peroxidase (POD), polyphenoloxidase (PPO), and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) in tomato fruits throughout the experiment. In conclusion, both filtrates and extract of T. reesei caused a substantial inhibitory effect on gray mold in postharvest tomato fruits. Thus, T. reesei presents a proper alternative to prevent and control tomato postharvest diseases throughout storage time.