Inhibitory effect of four novel synthetic peptides on food spoilage yeasts.

The spoilage of foods caused by the growth of undesirable yeast species is a problem in the food industry. Yeast species such as Zygosaccharomyces bailii, Zygosaccharomyces rouxii, Debaryomyces hansenii, Kluyveromyces lactis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been encountered in foods such as high sugar products, fruit juices, wine, mayonnaise, chocolate and soft drinks. The demand for new methods of preservations has increased because of the negative association attached to chemical preservatives.

Isolation and characterisation of the antifungal activity of the cowpea defensin Cp-thionin II.

As a result of the rapidly growing human population, reducing post-harvest crop losses of cereals due to microbial pests has major importance. Plant defensins have the potential to fulfil these demands, being highly specific and efficient antimicrobial agents. Hence, this study aimed to extract and characterise a peptide from cowpea seeds and investigate its antifungal performance.