Evaluation of chitosans and Pichia guillermondii as growth inhibitors of Penicillium digitatum

Chitosans were obtained by room-temperature-homogeneous-deacetylation (RTHD) and freeze-pump-out-thaw-heterogeneous-deacetylation (FPT) from chitins purified from fermentations. Commercial chitosan was deacetylated by three-FPT-cycles. Chitosans and Pichia guillermondii were evaluated on the growth of Penicillium digitatum. Medium molecular weight (MW) chitosans displayed higher inhibitory activity against the yeast than low MW biopolymers. Chitosans with low degree of acetylation (DA) were inhibitory for yeast and mould. Therefore, a low MW and high DA chitosan was selected for use against moulds combined with yeasts. Biopolymer and yeasts presented an additive effect, since chitosans were effective to delay spore germination, whereas yeast decreased apical fungal growth.