TY  - EJOU
AU  - Ramos-Bell, Surelys 
AU  - Rayón-Díaz, Edson 
AU  - Herrera-González, Juan A. 
AU  - Martínez-Batista, Estefanía 
AU  - Velázquez-Estrada, Rita M. 
AU  - Gutiérrez–Martínez, Porfirio 

TI  - Ultrasound-Assisted Hydrothermal Treatment in Combination with Chitosan for Fungal Control of <i>Botrytis cinerea</i>
T2  - Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany

PY  - 2025
VL  - 94
IS  - 10
SN  - 1851-5657

AB  - A significant portion of losses in the fruit and vegetable sector are caused by the necrotrophic fungus <i>Botrytis cinerea</i>, due to its high prevalence in over 1000 crop species. Identifying a technology capable of exclusively inhibiting its growth and development remains challenging; therefore, various treatments have been proposed to act synergistically in preventing the spread of this pathogen. The objective of this study was to evaluate an ultrasound-assisted treatment combined with chitosan to control the development of <i>B. cinerea</i>. <i>In vitro</i> analyses showed that combining temperature, ultrasound, and chitosan inhibited the fungal radial growth by 80%, reduced sporulation, and decreased germination. Electrolyte leak analysis indicated damage to the <i>B. cinerea</i> cell wall, causing intracellular material to escape into the environment. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy images also revealed severe structural damage, including loss of the cytoplasmic membrane and cell lysis.
KW  - Gray mold; eco-friendly; ultrasound; chitosan

DO  - 10.32604/phyton.2025.071543