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<p>Postharvest fungal contamination represents a major constraint for preserving tomatoes (<i>Solanum lycopersicum</i>), resulting in substantial quality and economic losses. <i>Rhizopus sp.</i> is among the most aggressive pathogens responsible for soft rot, often resistant to conventional fungicides. This study proposes eco-friendly antifungal coatings based on zinc–copper oxide (ZnCu) nanocomposites embedded in chitosan (CH) matrices. ZnO particles, CuO particles, and ZnCu composite were synthesized via a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. Structural and optical characterization by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nitrogen physisorption, and UV–Vis spectroscopy confirmed the presence of crystalline mixed oxides and distinctive flower-like morphologies, with ZnCu forming hexagonal snow-crystal-like assemblies. The antifungal activity of the materials was evaluated against <i>Rhizopus sp.</i>, ZnCu showed the most significant mycelial growth inhibition (82%) after 48&#xa0;h. Every material was incorporated into 1% CH solution for getting a 1&#xa0;mg/mL suspension and tomatoes of similar size were coated with the suspension, inoculated with <i>Rhizopus</i> sp., and monitored for 5 days. After 12 days, the coated tomatoes lost only 8.94% of their weight, compared to 22.39% in the controls, and maintained greater firmness than both the controls and the CH-only coatings. Toxicological assays revealed no adverse effects on cucumber seed germination or significantly promoted root elongation. ZnO showed toxicity toward <i>Artemia salina</i>, however, the incorporation of CuO into the ZnCu composite mitigated this toxic effect. These findings demonstrate that ZnCu–CH coatings efficiently inhibit <i>Rhizopus sp.</i> contamination and extend the postharvest shelf life of tomatoes, representing a sustainable strategy for postharvest disease control.</p>

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Antifungal Coatings of ZnCu-chitosan in the Preservation of Tomatoes Infected with Rhizopus sp. at Room Temperature

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年12月17日

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  • B. P. Nuñez-Luna,
  • J. D. Trujillo-Casarreal,
  • S. Ramos-Bell,
  • P. Gutiérrez-Martínez,
  • V. Rodriguez-Gonzalez

摘要

Postharvest fungal contamination represents a major constraint for preserving tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum), resulting in substantial quality and economic losses. Rhizopus sp. is among the most aggressive pathogens responsible for soft rot, often resistant to conventional fungicides. This study proposes eco-friendly antifungal coatings based on zinc–copper oxide (ZnCu) nanocomposites embedded in chitosan (CH) matrices. ZnO particles, CuO particles, and ZnCu composite were synthesized via a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. Structural and optical characterization by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nitrogen physisorption, and UV–Vis spectroscopy confirmed the presence of crystalline mixed oxides and distinctive flower-like morphologies, with ZnCu forming hexagonal snow-crystal-like assemblies. The antifungal activity of the materials was evaluated against Rhizopus sp., ZnCu showed the most significant mycelial growth inhibition (82%) after 48 h. Every material was incorporated into 1% CH solution for getting a 1 mg/mL suspension and tomatoes of similar size were coated with the suspension, inoculated with Rhizopus sp., and monitored for 5 days. After 12 days, the coated tomatoes lost only 8.94% of their weight, compared to 22.39% in the controls, and maintained greater firmness than both the controls and the CH-only coatings. Toxicological assays revealed no adverse effects on cucumber seed germination or significantly promoted root elongation. ZnO showed toxicity toward Artemia salina, however, the incorporation of CuO into the ZnCu composite mitigated this toxic effect. These findings demonstrate that ZnCu–CH coatings efficiently inhibit Rhizopus sp. contamination and extend the postharvest shelf life of tomatoes, representing a sustainable strategy for postharvest disease control.