Drying of Epicoccum nigrum conidia for obtaining a shelf-stable biological product against brown rot disease

Drying of Epicoccum nigrum conidia for obtaining a shelf-stable biological product against brown rot disease
March 2003
I. Larena, A. De Cal, M. Li??n and P. Melgarejo
Journal of Applied Microbiology
Volume 94 Issue 3 Page 508
Blackwell Synergy
Aims:The effects of freeze-drying, spray-drying and fluidized bed-drying on survival of Epicoccum nigrum conidia were compared.
Methods and Results:Viability of E. nigrum conidia (estimated by measuring its germination) was 100% after fluidized bed-drying and freeze-drying, but it was determined that skimmed milk must be added in the case of freeze-drying conidia. Addition of other protectants (Tween-20, peptone, sucrose, glucose, starch and peptone + starch) to skimmed milk before freeze-drying did not improve the conidial viability which was obtained with skimmed milk alone. Glycerol had a negative effect on the lyophilization of E. nigrum conidia. Epicoccum nigrum conidia freeze-dried with skimmed milk, or fluidized bed-dried alone maintained an initial viability for 30 and 90 days, respectively, for storage at room temperature. Epicoccum nigrum conidial viability after spray-drying was lower than 10%.
Conclusions:The best method to dry E. nigrum conidia was fluidized bed-drying. Conidia without protectants dried by this method had 100% viability and survived for 90 days at room temperature.
Significance and Impact of Study: This paper deals with methods for the potential formulation of a biocontrol agent which is being tested for eventual commercialization.
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