Antifungal Ability of Nanochitosan against Colletotrichum acutatumL2 in Post Harvest Tomato Fruit

Abstract

     This study examined the antifungal effect of nanochitosan on Colletotrichum acutatum L2 isolated from anthracnose infected tomato both in vitro and in vivo. The results demonstrated that nanochitosan inhibited the spore germination and the growth of C. acutatum L2. Inhibitory effect of 50% and 90% mycelial diameter and dry biomass was achieved at the nanochitosan concentration of 0.75 g/l and 1.53 g/l, 0.46 g/l and 1.1 g/l, respectively. Concentration of 1.6 g/l nanochitosan completely inhibited the growth of C. acutatum L2. In in vivo, nanochitosan could control the growth of C. acutatum L2 on tomato fruits. After 10 days, the nanochitosan concentration of 4 g/l inhibited 76% the development of lesion diameter and MIC50 was achieved at concentration of 1.14 g/l.