The use of fungicides to control molds that cause spoilage of fruits and vegetables is
increasingly limited. Mainly due to their excessive use in past, the development of new
resistant mould strains and because of potentially harmful effects of pesticide residues
to human health. Alternative methods are therefore increasingly important. One of them
is irradiation of fruits and vegetables with blue LED light or photodynamic inactivation
(PDI) with blue LED light. Researchers have demonstrated the antimicrobial effect of
blue LED light mainly as antibacterial treatment and less frequently as antifungal
treatment. The purpose of this work is to explain photodynamic effect of blue LED light
irradiation and possibilities of its practical application as antifungal method used to
prevent fruit and vegetable spoilage. The results have showed potential of blue LED
light irradiation as it can inactivate mould by producing reactive oxygen species (ROS)
that cause damage to different cellular components such as lipids, proteins and nucleic
acids. These effects can lead to growth inhibition or even moulds destruction. Blue LED
light might also affect quality of fruit and vegetables such as colour, increasing content
of certain antioxidants, such as phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, slows rot and aging of fruits and vegetables and increase their resistance to mold-borne diseases. The use of
blue LED light is a more environmentally friendly method compared to the use of
fungicides and could be use as complementary strategies to protect fruit and vegetables
from mould spoilage. As the efficiency of blue LED light is influenced by many factors,
its application still requires many scientific research.
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