Effects of ethanol and ultraviolet-c treatments on inactivation of Rhizopus oryzae spores which cause postharvest rot

Abstract Rhizopus oryzae is a filamentous fungi reported as a postharvest pathogen in recent years. Ethanol treatment (0, 10, 20, and 30%) and UVC irradiation (0, 1, 2, 5, 10 minutes) were used both individually and in combination for the inactivation of Rhizopus oryzae spores. Survival ratio of the spores and LD50 values for ethanol and UVC irradiation were determined to quantify the germicidal effect. UVC exposure is found to be significantly more effective than ethanol treatment on the reduction of R. oryzae spore survivability. The combination of UVC exposure and ethanol treatment enhanced...