Biological Control of Black Spot Disease in Cherry Tomato Caused by <i>Alternaria alternata</i> with <i>Bacillus velezensis</i> T3

Black spot is a major postharvest disease of cherry tomatoes, caused by <i>Alternaria alternata</i>. This causes economic losses and storage challenges, so researchers are exploring alternative methods. The biological control of fruits and vegetables using antagonistic bacteria and yeast...

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Main Authors: Xinmeng Wei, Qiya Yang, Dhanasekaran Solairaj, Esa Abiso Godana, Xi Zhang, Yu Li, Xiaoyong Liu, Hongyin Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Foods
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/10/1700
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Summary:Black spot is a major postharvest disease of cherry tomatoes, caused by <i>Alternaria alternata</i>. This causes economic losses and storage challenges, so researchers are exploring alternative methods. The biological control of fruits and vegetables using antagonistic bacteria and yeasts is currently a research hotspot. Initially, the biological control impact of <i>Bacillus velezensis</i> T3 on cherry tomato black spot was investigated. Disease defense, scavenging reactive oxygen species, and antioxidant-related enzymes were determined during different storage periods. The relative gene expressions of these enzymes were also confirmed using RT-qPCR. The results showed that <i>B. velezensis</i> T3 reduced the incidence of black spot disease in cherry tomatoes. The growth of <i>A. alternata</i> was suppressed by <i>B. velezensis</i> T3 cell-free filtrate both <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i>. In addition, <i>B. velezensis</i> T3 induced the activities of disease resistance-related enzymes such as polyphenol oxidase (PPO), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), β-1,3-glucanase (GLU), and chitinase (CHI), and the activities of the ROS-related enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and reduced the rate of O<sub>2</sub><sup>−</sup> production and H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>, and MDA content of cherry tomatoes. This approach offers a promising alternative for extending shelf life, though further studies are needed to fully characterize its effects on fruit quality.
ISSN:2304-8158