From waste to health: Valorization of agri-food by-products for the control of fresh fruit fungal postharvest decay
Fungal postharvest diseases of fresh fruits cause significant economic losses while reliance on conventional synthetic fungicides for their control raises important environmental and safety concerns. Likewise, growing issues about the accumulation of agri-food industrial waste and by-products are in...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | acceptedVersion |
| Language: | Inglés |
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Elsevier
2025
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11939/9099 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0925521425006660 |
| Summary: | Fungal postharvest diseases of fresh fruits cause significant economic losses while reliance on conventional synthetic fungicides for their control raises important environmental and safety concerns. Likewise, growing issues about the accumulation of agri-food industrial waste and by-products are increasingly driving the search for new strategies for their valorization to boost the circular bioeconomy and increase sustainability. This review examines the antifungal potential of extracts obtained from underutilized agri-food by-products and their main bioactive compounds, such as phenolics, terpenes, alkaloids, and glucosinolates. The key optimization parameters for the recovery of bioactive compounds using both conventional and green extraction methods are described. The antifungal activity of these extracts has been demonstrated against major pathogens causing fruit postharvest decay, including Botrytis cinerea, Penicillium spp., Monilinia spp., and Colletotrichum spp. While in vitro studies prove the inhibition of fungal growth and spore germination, in vivo applications show significant potential to reduce decay of commercially important fruits such as citrus, apples, strawberries, and grapes. Therefore, the use of these extracts within non-polluting integrated postharvest disease management strategies represents a promising, sustainable, environmentally friendly alternative for decay control. Remaining challenges include identifying new applications, broadening the spectrum of activity, assessing potential synergies with other alternative control methods, and advancing in regulatory approval and scale-up for commercial implementation. |
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