Antifungal Activity of a Carboxy Methyl Cellulose-Aloe vera-based Edible Coating as a Carrier of Living Cells in Pistachio Nut

 The incorporation of live microbial cells in edible films has been considered a suitable biocontrol approach to increase the shelf life of food products.

 The current study investigated the possibility of developing an Aloe vera gel-based edible film containing Bacillus subtilis B5 and Lactobacillus plantarum DSMZ 20174 and their inhibitory effect against the growth of Aspergillus flavus in fresh pistachios during 30 days of storage.

 The results indicated that the sporulation dramatically decreased with an increase in the concentration of Lactobacillus plantarum to 107 CFU/ml and that any sporogenesis was detected at 108 CFU/ml. Significant differences were observed in the inhibitory effect of Bacillus subtilis  (90%) against Aspergillus flavus compared to Lactobacillus plantarum (60%). By observing the opacity of the wells, any trace of sporulation was noticed at 102 to 108 CFU/ml Bacillus subtilis concentrations. By reducing the inoculum volume of Bacillus subtilis cells to 101, the inhibition percentage was reduced to 76%, continuing to prove the antifungal effectiveness of this bacteria against the Aspergillus flavus growth even in a decreased inoculated population.
The edible film containing Bacillus subtilis and Lactobacillus plantarum demonstrated an inhibitory effect on the growth of Aspergillus flavus in fresh pistachios, with Bacillus subtilis having the most significant impact.

 The application of the Aloe vera-based coating bearing live cells could be considered an appropriate, safe, and economical approach to prevent Aspergillus flavus growth and aflatoxin production in fresh pistachios.