Light-Driven Renewable Bactericidal And Fungicidal Wax Supplement For Control Of Persistent Microorganisms On Fruit And Vegetable Surfaces

The goal of this proposal is to develop a novel light-driven renewable bactericidal and fungicidal wax supplement for the control and inactivation of persistent microorganisms on fruit and vegetable surfaces, thus protecting the microbial safety and quality of fruit and vegetables.To achieve the goal, this proposal has three specific objectives:Objective 1: Determining the vitamin K3concentration needed for inactivating persistent bacteria in different cell states and persistent fungi;Objective 2: Formulating and optimizing the Vitamin K3+Vitamin B2combination to achieve the best bactericidal and fungicidal activity and recharging efficacy in wax;Objective 3: Applying Vitamin K3+Vitamin B2-supplemented wax mixtures on inoculated and non-inoculated oranges, apples and tomatoes, and evaluating their antimicrobial efficacy on pathogens and background microbes as well as their impact on product quality.