Microencapsulated food-grade antioxidant applied as a preservative of peanut seed quality in microcosm ? and pilot ? scale trials

GIRARDI, N.; GARCÍA, D.; PASSONE, M.A.; NESCI, A.; GARCÍA, J.; ETCHEVERRY, M.

JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD

Lugar: LOndres; Año: 2018

0022-5142

BACKGROUND: In Argentina, peanuts are stored for 3?6 months. It is important to avoid proliferation of fungi and insect pestsduring this period. In this study, the potential of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) microcapsules to conserve peanut kernels wasevaluated in microcosms and on a pilot scale.RESULTS: In microcosm assays, microcapsules containing BHA at a dose of 1802 �g g−1 reduced 37% of total fungal count.Higher reductions (77?100%) were obtained with a combined treatment with BHA formulation (1802 �g g−1) plus fungicide(methyl thiophanate 0.0100 g L−1 and metalaxyl 0.0133 g L−1). However, germination levels of peanut seeds treated with theBHA formulation were less than 6% throughout the incubation time. In pilot-scale trials, the storage conditions allowed thecontrol of fungal development and insect proliferation. Quantifiable levels of BHA were also detected throughout the entirestorage period. The combined treatment significantly reduced fungal contamination at 2 months of storage (C1-2015: 37.41%;C1-2016: 28.48%; C2-2016: 45.02%). Seed germination of unshelled stored peanuts was not affected by the formulation.CONCLUSION: The application of the BHA formulation during storage combined with pre-seeding treatment could be anappropriate strategy to maintain the quality of the peanut kernels destined for seed