Cai Yiliang, Shan Jingjing, Mao Xinyu, Zhang Zihan, Hong Wei, Wang Weilun, Zhao Chao, Lin Haiyan, Zhu Ruiyu
School of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou, 310023, China.
Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education and Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, 550004, China.
Food Microbiol. 2025 Dec;132:104857. doi: 10.1016/j.fm.2025.104857. Epub 2025 Jul 2.
LED visible light irradiation demonstrates significant potential for suppressing postharvest pathogens, yet the antifungal efficacy and underlying mechanisms of white light spectrum remain poorly understood. This study systematically evaluated the inhibitory effects of two white LED irradiation intensities (40 and 120 μmol m s) against Penicillium expansum through in vitro and in vivo trials, with darkness as the control, while elucidating the mechanistic basis via transcriptomic profiling. In vitro experiments revealed that white LED irradiation effectively suppressed fungal growth and induced substantial disruption of cell membrane integrity. In vivo applications demonstrated that 120 μmol m s irradiation significantly attenuated P. expansum pathogenicity on apple fruits while maintaining optimal fruit quality parameters. Transcriptomic analysis identified irradiation-induced dysregulation of key metabolic pathways, including carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, coupled with impaired cell membrane functionality of P. expansum. We propose a tripartite inhibitory mechanism involving the suppression of energy supply, structural destabilization of cellular membranes, and reduction of virulence factor secretion in P. expansum exposed to 120 μmol m s white LED irradiation. These findings elucidated the effect and mechanism of white light irradiation in inhibiting the growth of P. expansum, demonstrating white LED's potential as an eco-friendly, cost-effective preservation strategy for postharvest apple management.
LED可见光照射在抑制采后病原体方面显示出巨大潜力，但白光光谱的抗真菌功效及其潜在机制仍知之甚少。本研究通过体外和体内试验，以黑暗为对照，系统评估了两种白光LED照射强度（40和120 μmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹）对扩展青霉的抑制作用，同时通过转录组分析阐明其作用机制。体外实验表明，白光LED照射能有效抑制真菌生长，并导致细胞膜完整性受到严重破坏。体内应用表明，120 μmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹的照射显著减弱了扩展青霉对苹果果实的致病性，同时保持了最佳的果实品质参数。转录组分析确定了照射诱导的关键代谢途径失调，包括碳水化合物和脂质代谢，同时扩展青霉的细胞膜功能也受到损害。我们提出了一种三方抑制机制，包括抑制能量供应、破坏细胞膜结构稳定性以及减少暴露于120 μmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹白光LED照射下的扩展青霉毒力因子的分泌。这些发现阐明了白光照射对扩展青霉生长的抑制作用及其机制，证明了白光LED作为一种生态友好、成本效益高的采后苹果保鲜策略的潜力。
