Research shows the potential of yeast to protect fruit harvests

Recent research shows the potential of yeast to protect fruit harvests

New research sheds light on the potential of Kluyveromyces marxianus’s cell wall to preserve fruit harvests. The researchers of Zhejiang University, China, published the findings in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules.

Postharvest diseases can seriously threaten fruit’s edible safety, nutritional value and storage time, resulting in huge losses along the entire value chain, including water, energy, fertilizer and other inputs. The yeast’s cell wall, specifically polysaccharides, was shown to have potential to improve the resistance of pear fruit to P. expansum, a fungi which damages it.

The findings conclude that K. marxianus’s cell wall can be used as an innovative and promising candidate for preventing postharvest fungal decay and extending fruit shelf life. This could replace the use of chemical fungicides which leads residues in food, causing harm to the environment, food safety and human health.

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