International journal of food microbiology最新文献

{"title":"Antifungal activity of volatile organic compounds produced by Weizmannia coagulans CGMCC 9951 on Ceratocystis fimbriata in postharvest sweet potatoes and its potential biocontrol","authors":"Pingping Tian ,&nbsp;Yuanyuan Mi ,&nbsp;Jia Xu ,&nbsp;Ying Wu ,&nbsp;Lina Zhao ,&nbsp;Shanshan Tie ,&nbsp;Jie Zhang ,&nbsp;Qiuxia Fan ,&nbsp;Shaobin Gu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111281","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111281","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by microorganisms are regarded as potential eco-friendly fumigants for managing black spot disease in postharvest sweet potatoes. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of <em>Weizmannia coagulans</em> CGMCC 9951 VOCs in inhibiting <em>Ceratocystis fimbriata</em>. The findings indicated that <em>C. fimbriata</em> was effectively inhibited both in vitro and in vivo. The GC–MS analysis revealed that the VOCs primarily consist of Benzyl alcohol, Eugenol, Isoamyl acetate, Linalool, and Benzothiazole. Among these, Linalool and Benzothiazole exhibited the most significant inhibitory effects against <em>C. fimbriata</em>. Sweet potatoes treated with VOCs exhibited a significant decrease in the size and depth of black spots. Transcriptome analysis and fluorescence microscopy demonstrated that VOCs could substantially down-regulate the expression of genes associated with spore germination, cell wall integrity, DNA replication and repair, and pathogenicity. These results suggest that <em>W. coagulans</em> CGMCC 9951 VOCs effectively inhibit <em>C. fimbriata</em> and protect postharvest sweet potatoes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"440 ","pages":"Article 111281"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144170293","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bioaugmentation with Zymomonas mobilis modulates microbial succession and enhances volatile profiles in strong-flavor Daqu fermentation","authors":"Hanrui Lin ,&nbsp;Linpei Liu ,&nbsp;Yong Zhuang,&nbsp;Bo Wu,&nbsp;Junkai Ma,&nbsp;Yiran Ma,&nbsp;Mingxiong He","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111275","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111275","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The advancement of novel microbial resources is pivotal for improving traditional <em>Daqu</em> fermentation in Chinese strong-flavor <em>Baijiu</em>. Although <em>Zymomonas mobilis</em> (<em>Z. mobilis</em>) exhibits potential in other alcoholic beverages, its application in <em>Baijiu</em> remains unexplored. This study demonstrates that <em>Z. mobilis</em> fortification significantly enhances <em>Daqu</em> quality by restructuring microbial communities and modulating enzymatic activity. Key findings include: (1) A dominance shift from <em>Bacillus</em> to <em>Kroppenstedtia</em> (53.4 % abundance), enhancing starch liquefaction and <em>Maillard</em> reaction-driven aroma formation; (2) Increased esterification power (+16.7 %, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), fermentation power (+34.8 %, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01), and total volatile compounds (+28.7 %, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01), including critical esters (e.g., methyl tetradecanoate +64.9 %); (3) PICRUSt2 analysis revealed upregulated enzymes (e.g., ethyl acetate synthase, EC 2.3.1.84, +42 %) promoting ethanol and ester synthesis. Co-occurrence networks further indicated simplified microbial interactions but enriched functional genera. These results establish <em>Z. mobilis</em> as a dual-action modulator, improving <em>Daqu</em> through microbial restructuring and enzymatic activation. This study provides the first evidence for <em>Z. mobilis</em> application in <em>Baijiu</em>, offering a novel strategy for optimizing traditional fermentation processes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"440 ","pages":"Article 111275"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144138291","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Flavor profiles and genetic basis differences of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei isolates from different isolations in fermented milk","authors":"Huaixiang Tian ,&nbsp;Ningwei Huang ,&nbsp;Chen Chen ,&nbsp;Haiyan Yu ,&nbsp;Chang Ge","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111274","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111274","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Lacticaseibacillus paracasei</em> from diverse traditional fermented foods exhibit unique flavor profiles in dairy products. In this study, 101 <em>Lacticaseibacillus</em> isolates were categorized into four distinct classes, with those originating from fermented dairy products demonstrating the highest flavor diversity. Multivariate statistical analyses identified diacetyl, acetoin, and 2-nonanone as key volatile compounds characterizing ketone-type isolates. Further examination of two ketone-type isolates and one non-ketone-type isolate, isolated from kurut, sour porridge, and Huangjiu mash respectively, revealed their specific abilities to produce ketones, lactones, and alcohols. Genome comparison of ketone-type and non-ketone-type <em>L. paracasei</em> isolates revealed disparities in the <em>cit</em> gene cluster, <em>als</em>, and <em>but</em> genes within the citrate metabolic pathway. These findings provide novel insights into the flavor diversity and help identify potential key genes involved in flavor formation in <em>L. paracasei</em> isolates, thereby facilitating the application of <em>L. paracasei</em> isolates in fermented dairy products.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"440 ","pages":"Article 111274"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144124303","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Thermal-activated Polydopamine bilayer film exhibits dual-mode synergistic antibacterial properties for enhanced salmon preservation","authors":"Zihan Hou ,&nbsp;Chenning Zhang ,&nbsp;Jiale Mao ,&nbsp;Yunxiao Xia ,&nbsp;Huijing Chao ,&nbsp;Yuan Sun ,&nbsp;Xu Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111279","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111279","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Foodborne pathogens threaten food safety and human health, prompting the need for innovative preservation solutions. Polydopamine endowed with photothermal properties represents a novel material for the inhibition of foodborne pathogens. This study develops a bilayer antibacterial film using polydopamine-berberine nanoparticles (PDA-BBR), leveraging dual-mode synergistic antibacterial effects through chemical and photothermal mechanisms. The film, incorporating starch and polylactic acid layers, was prepared via solvent casting and characterized for mechanical properties, water vapor permeability (WVP), and antibacterial efficacy. The results revealed that the 2.0 % PDA-BBR film achieved a tensile strength of 4.00 MPa, a WVP of 2.30 × 10⁻¹¹ g/m·s·Pa, and over 95 % inhibition against <em>Escherichia coli</em> and <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em>. Moreover, the film preserved salmon quality by maintaining texture, lowering total volatile basic nitrogen to 16.19 mg/100 g, and inhibiting spoilage during 9 days of storage at 4 °C. These findings highlight PDA-BBR film as a promising food preservation approach with enhanced antibacterial and preservation performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"440 ","pages":"Article 111279"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144124304","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inactivation mechanisms of carvacrol on Salmonella Typhimurium and its combined inhibitory effects with blue light-405 nm for chicken meat preservation","authors":"Haiying Cui ,&nbsp;Xingjun Chen ,&nbsp;Tariq Aziz ,&nbsp;Rania Ali El Hadi Mohamed ,&nbsp;Fahad Al-Asmari ,&nbsp;Jaza Maqbl Alshammari ,&nbsp;Fakhria A. Al-Joufi ,&nbsp;Ce Shi ,&nbsp;Lin Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111276","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111276","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Salmonella Typhimurium</em> (<em>S. Typhimurium</em>) is a major contributor responsible for food contamination and foodborne illnesses. In this study, the antibacterial activity of natural compound carvacrol (CAR) against <em>S. Typhimurium</em> were evaluated, and the combined inhibitory effects of CAR and blue light-405 nm (BL-405 nm) were also assessed for chicken meat preservation. CAR showed efficient antibacterial activity with a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) at 0.5 mg/mL. CAR at 2MIC significantly compromised bacterial membrane integrity, resulting in intracellular content leakage. The combined effect of CAR and BL-405 nm achieved a remarkable 5.62 log CFU/mL reduction in <em>S. Typhimurium</em> viability. The antibacterial mechanism investigations demonstrated that BL-405 nm and CAR triggered the cell oxidative stress by producing highly reactive oxygen species, such as reactive hydroxyl radicals (<img>OH), leading to cellular destruction and ultimately resulting in cell death. In practical application test, CAR combined with BL-405 nm treatment effectively extended chicken meat shelf life by maintaining moisture content, stabilizing pH, preserving color and texture, and inhibiting microbial growth and lipid oxidation. The study provided novel insights into the antibacterial mechanisms of CAR combined with BL-405 nm against <em>S. Typhimurium</em>, which could offer a new strategy for extending the shelf life of poultry meat.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"440 ","pages":"Article 111276"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144114873","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lactic acid bacteria fermentation: A novel and promising pathway to lower the uric acid production of seaweed food (Porphyra haitanensis)","authors":"Yuting Dong ,&nbsp;Xinyao Chao ,&nbsp;Ruobing Li ,&nbsp;Jinli Chen ,&nbsp;Jinzhong Cai ,&nbsp;Yang Yang ,&nbsp;Yuanqing Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111277","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111277","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Porphyra haitanensis</em> is a highly nutritious and widely consumed seaweed food. However, it is a high-purine food, which can increase the risk of disease for individuals with hyperuricemia. To address this issue, three lactic acid bacteria strains, including <em>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</em>, <em>Lacticaseibacillus paracasei</em>, and <em>Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus</em>, are utilized to investigate the effects of fermentation on <em>Porphyra haitanensis</em> to reduce the purine content and the activity of xanthine oxidase (XOD) and adenosine deaminase (ADA). All the three lactic acid bacteria strains can significantly reduce in xanthine content and effectively inhibit ADA and XOD activities. The xanthine content can be reduced by 47.80 % after <em>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</em> fermentation. The inhibition ratio of XOD in <em>Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus</em> fermentation is as high as to 91.39 %, which is improved by 308.30 %. The inhibition ratio of ADA can be improved by 515.35 % after <em>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</em> fermentation. Metabolomic analysis is applied to elucidate the key metabolites associated with activity inhibition and molecular docking is performed to reveal the inhibition mechanisms. Folic acid and cis-zeatin were identified as key differential metabolites for the inhibition of XOD and ADA activities, exhibiting strong binding affinities toward both of the two enzymes. This is among the first known reports that the lactic acid bacteria fermentation is utilized to lower the uric acid production of seaweed <em>Porphyra haitanensi</em>. These findings highlight the potential of lactic acid bacteria fermentation as an effective strategy for reducing purine levels in seaweed-derived functional foods, providing novel dietary interventions for hyperuricemia management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"440 ","pages":"Article 111277"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144114875","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Companilactobacillus crustorum LMG 23699 and Wickerhamomyces anomalus IMDO 010110 form a candidate, stable, mixed-strain starter culture for sourdough production","authors":"Inés Pradal,&nbsp;Víctor González-Alonso,&nbsp;Yohanes Raditya Wardhana,&nbsp;Luc De Vuyst","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111278","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111278","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Companilactobacillus crustorum</em> LMG 23699 is a candidate starter culture for sourdough production. White wheat and wholemeal wheat Type 3 sourdough productions started with this strain showed its competitiveness and robustness. Moreover, starter culture strain monitoring by an amplicon sequence variant approach revealed its prevalence, and unraveled a consortium with the yeast <em>Wickerhamomyces anomalus</em>. Even a temperature perturbation during sourdough storage, which caused an increase in the relative abundance of the background <em>Levilactobacillus parabrevis</em>, could not eliminate this starter culture strain. In addition, <em>Coml. crustorum</em> LMG 23699 always prevailed during wholemeal wheat Type 2 sourdough productions started with different ratios of this strain and <em>Levl. parabrevis</em> IMDO 033007 (isolated from the above-mentioned sourdoughs), with and without <em>W. anomalus</em> IMDO 010110 (isolated from the above-mentioned sourdoughs). When the yeast strain was co-inoculated, the four main flour carbohydrates and mannose were depleted and more D-lactic acid was produced, pointing toward a stable interaction between <em>Coml. crustorum</em> LMG 23699 and <em>W. anomalus</em> IMDO 010110. To conclude, the present study showed that the competitive and robust <em>Coml. crustorum</em> LMG 23699 could form with <em>W. anomalus</em> IMDO 010110 a new, stable, microbial consortium for sourdough productions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"440 ","pages":"Article 111278"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144114874","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative analysis of the effects of Origanum vulgare essential oil and carvacrol nanoemulsified and non-nanoemulsified forms against Salmonella Typhimurium strains","authors":"Carolina Ramos ,&nbsp;Yhan Mutz ,&nbsp;Bruno Dutra da Silva ,&nbsp;Alan Clavelland Ochioni ,&nbsp;Ana Júlia Bento Amaral ,&nbsp;Carlos Adam Conte-Junior","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111273","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111273","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the potential of <em>Origanum vulgare</em> L. (OVEO), carvacrol (CAR), and their nanoemulsions (<em>n</em>OVEO and <em>n</em>CAR) in subinhibitory concentrations as antimicrobial agents against <em>S. typhimurium</em> strains <em>in vitro</em> and <em>in situ</em>. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ranged from 0.59 to 0.60 mg/mL for the nanoemulsions and 0.68 to 1.5 mg/mL for their non-nanoemulsified counterparts. Growth kinetics analysis showed that all treatments at 1/4 MIC, 1/2 MIC, and MIC reduced the growth rate and prolonged the lag phase. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that these treatments caused permeabilization of the cell membranes, with OVEO standing out for its highest effect on membrane rupture, even at subinhibitory concentrations. Regarding adhesion prevention, the nanoemulsions demonstrated equal or greater efficacy compared to non-nanoemulsified compounds, with &gt;44.12 % inhibition even at the lowest tested concentration. In chicken fillets inoculated with a four-strain <em>S. typhimurium</em> cocktail, a reduction in bacterial counts was observed throughout the experiment. The highest reduction (0.82 ± 0.08 log CFU/g) was recorded on the eighth day of treatment with <em>n</em>OVEO at 2xMIC (2.86 mg/mL). Therefore, this study investigates the complexity of OVEO and CAR, highlighting their antimicrobial potential at different action targets against <em>Salmonella</em>, including biofilm adhesion inhibition and their application in contaminated food matrices. Additionally, it reveals that the reduction in droplet size in nanoemulsions can enhance the antimicrobial action of the essential oils, increasing their applicability and contributing significantly to food safety.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"440 ","pages":"Article 111273"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144124305","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The use of autochthonous Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains as a strategy to enhance aroma variability and typicity of Savatiano wines; RNAseq-based transcriptome comparison of indigenous strains under winemaking conditions","authors":"Despina Lola ,&nbsp;Chrysanthi Kalloniati ,&nbsp;Aikaterini Tzamourani ,&nbsp;Spiros Paramithiotis ,&nbsp;Maria Dimopoulou ,&nbsp;Emmanouil Flemetakis ,&nbsp;Yorgos Kotseridis","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111249","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111249","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The connection between wine microbiota and terroir has become increasingly significant in the wine industry in recent years. Indigenous yeasts have emerged as a valuable tool for imparting unique qualities to wine, enhancing the aroma characteristics specific to a given wine-producing region. This study aimed to isolate indigenous <em>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</em> strains from spontaneous fermentations and assess their impact on the fermentative performance, chemical composition, and wine aroma profiles, using two commercial strains serving as controls. Fermentation kinetics, organic acids, ethanol, and glycerol content were monitored daily using HPLC. The produced wines were evaluated for their organoleptic properties and underwent volatile compound profiling using GC–MS. Additionally, the gene transcription patterns of the isolated yeasts and their connection to the resulting oenological traits were further explored, employing RNAseq during fermentation. Our study revealed that native strains supported volatilome, promoted ester and terpene formation, enhanced fruity, floral, and sweet attributes, and contributed to a distinct wine aroma compared to the control ones. Of particular interest were the differences in organic acid metabolism and glycerol formation. Transcriptomes of the indigenous yeasts identified different genomic responses and explained the variations in metabolite production between strains. In conclusion, the data obtained highlights the different transcriptomic and metabolic profiles of the indigenous yeasts isolated during this study. Besides, the importance of understanding yeast genomics and metabolism to achieve promising sensory characteristics and unique wine styles was emphasized, and these insights could contribute to the development of new products while preserving the identity of a region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"440 ","pages":"Article 111249"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144131741","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Insights into Alternaria in apple fruit causing mouldy core, external infection and mycotoxin production under retail and storage conditions","authors":"María Agustina Pavicich ,&nbsp;María Luisa Maldonado ,&nbsp;Truong Nhat Nguyen ,&nbsp;Marthe De Boevre ,&nbsp;Sarah De Saeger ,&nbsp;Andrea Patriarca","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111272","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111272","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Apple fruit is widely consumed worldwide, but fungal contamination in the postharvest stage presents a significant food safety concern. This study evaluates the production and accumulation of <em>Alternaria</em> mycotoxins, including alternariol (AOH), alternariol monomethyl-ether (AME), and the modified forms (AOH-3-S, AME-3-S, AOH-3-G, AME-3-G), altenuene (ALT), tenuazonic acid (TeA), tentoxin (TEN), altertoxin I and II (ATX<img>I, ATX-II), in Red Delicious apples under simulated retail and post-harvest conditions. Three <em>Alternaria tenuissima</em> strains (isolates 02, 31 and 36) were inoculated in apple fruit at two sites separately (core and exterior) and incubated at two temperatures (25 °C and 4 °C) for 1 and 9 months. Mycotoxin production was quantified using LC-MS/MS, revealing significant variability across strains and conditions. Isolates 02 and 36 exhibited significant temperature and site-dependent variability in mycotoxin production. Higher levels of AOH, AME, ALT, and ATX-I were produced at 25 °C and in the core. Long-term cold storage delayed fungal growth but did not prevent mycotoxin accumulation, raising concerns about the safety of processed apple products. These findings highlight the need for stricter monitoring of mycotoxins during post-harvest storage to mitigate health risks. The findings provide insights into their toxigenic capacity <em>in vivo</em> and highlight potential risks for food safety.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"439 ","pages":"Article 111272"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144071471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}