Efficacy of Pichia caribbica in controlling blue mold rot and patulin degradation in apples

The efficacy of Pichia caribbica in controlling postharvest blue mold and natural decay development of apples and degrading the patulin produced by Penicillium expansum was investigated. The decay incidence of the blue mold of apples treated by P. caribbica was significantly reduced compared with the control samples, and the higher the concentration of P. caribbica, the better the efficacy of the biocontrol. P. caribbica significantly controlled the natural decay development of apples following storage at 20 °C for 35 days or 4 °C for 45 days followed by 20 °C for 15 days. Germination of spores and growth of P. expansum were markedly inhibited by P. caribbica in in vitro testing. Rapid colonization of apple wounds by the yeast was observed in fruit stored at 20 °C or 4 °C. After incubation with P. caribbica at 20 °C for 15 days, patulin production by P. expansum in apples was significantly reduced compared with the control. In vitro testing indicated that P. caribbica can degrade patulin directly.