Zhang DD, Zhao JF, Tan LQ, Wu Q, Lv HX, Zhang YR, Zhang M. Effects of zinc oxide nanocomposites on microorganism growth and protection of physicochemical quality during maize storage.
Int J Food Microbiol 2024;
411:110552. [PMID:
38159444 DOI:
10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2023.110552]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Maize moldy and spoilage due to microbial growth is a significant challenge in grain storage. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a zinc oxide nanocomposite, ZnO@mSiO2, prepared in our previous research, in inhibiting mold growth and preserving maize cell quality. The results demonstrated that ZnO@mSiO2 could effectively inhibit the growth of dominant microorganism, Aspergillus flavus, Talaromyces variabilis, Penicillium citrinum and Fusarium graminearum, in maize storage. Aspergillus flavus was selected as the model fungus, ZnO@mSiO2 effectively disrupted fungal hyphae structure, leading to reduced hyphal mass and inhibited spore germination. The inhibitory effect of ZnO@mSiO2 on mold growth was concentration-dependent. However, the ZnO@mSiO2 at an appropriate concentration (not exceeding 3.0 g/kg) preserved the integrity of maize cell membranes and enhancing the antioxidant activity within maize cells. The findings highlight the potential of ZnO@mSiO2 as an effective protectant to inhibit mold growth and preserve maize quality during storage.
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