Bioassays of glucosinolate‐derived isothiocyanates against postharvest pear pathogens

Abstract

The present study assayed the effect of six isothiocyanates (ITCs), produced by the enzymatic hydrolysis of glucosinolates, on fungal pathogens of pear. Sample pear fruits were artificially inoculated through induced wounds with conidial suspensions of Botrytis cinerea Rhizopus stolonifer Monilinia laxa Mucor piriformis or Penicillium expansum and were then treated with ITCs. Of the six ITCs tested, the ITC from glucoraphenin showed the highest effectiveness after 6 days at 20°C, against M. laxa B. cinerea and M. piriformis . The effectiveness of the ITC from glucoraphenin against M. laxa was assayed in two further trials to test the effect of ITC concentration on different concentrations of inoculum and to determine the duration of the curative effect of this ITC. ITC concentration directly affected fungus control capacity. The highest ITC concentration (3.6 mg mL −1 ) afforded pathogen control at the highest level of pathogen concentration (10 6 conidia mL −1 ) after 6 days at 20°C. Its curative effect was evident up to 40 h after inoculation.