Saccharomyces cerevisiae NX2320 inhibit Aspergillus carbonarius by cell membrane disruption and oxidative stress-mediated autophagy in in vitro and during grape storage

Aspergillus carbonarius not only causes the decay of fresh fruit, but also produce the mycotoxin ochratoxin A. Biological control of pathogenic fungus by antagonistic microorganisms is a safe and effective method. However, information about the potential mechanism of antagonistic microorganisms to suppress A. carbonarius is limited. In this study, S. cerevisiae NX2320 inhibited the growth of A. carbonarius in PDA media and during grape storage. 2-phenylethanol (2-PE) produced by S. cerevisiae NX2320 may be the key substance for its antifungal mechanism. The result indicated that S. cerevisiae NX2320 and 2-PE inhibited OTA production, break the redox steady state, destroy membrane integrity, cause cell autophagy and control the production of mycotoxins. The results indicated that S. cerevisiae must be further investigated for potential application to control fungal and mycotoxin problems during grape storage.