Isolation and Identification of Fungal Pathogens from Coated Red Chili: Effect of Starch-Based Coating on Fungal Diversity Nova Wahyu Pratiwi (a*), Chimayatus Solichah (a), Rina Srilestari (a), Antik Suprihanti (b), Aloula Galuh Mehak (a), Ari Try Kurniawan (a), Rosyid Hidayat (a), Aulia Ardhi (c)
(a) Department of Agrotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Yogyakarta, Indonesia
*nova.wahyupratiwi[at]upnyk.ac.id
(b) Department of Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Yogyakarta, Indonesia
(c) Department of Food and Agricultural Product Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia
Abstract
Red chili (Capsicum annum L.) is one of the popular agricultural products that is used in several Indonesian foods. As general postharvest commodities characteristics, red chili is susceptible to physical threats and microbial contamination, leading to rapid deterioration and spoilage. One strategy to maintain the quality of red chili is the application of protective coatings that is reported to inhibit the growth of pathogens. This study aimed to identify the isolated fungal pathogens from red chili peppers that had been protected with an edible starch-based coating. The formulations of the starch-based coating involved the utilization of Arenga (Arenga pinata) and sago (Metroxylon sagu) starch, which were subsequently used for coating the red chili. Fungal isolates from both groups were isolated and identified using macroscopic and microscopic techniques. The results showed that the coated red chili peppers had a significantly lower fungal growth than the uncoated samples after 21-day storage, with the viable fungal isolates morphologically identified as Fusarium sp., Colletotrichum sp., and Cercospora sp.
Keywords: Edible coating, fungal pathogens, red chili, starch
