Antifungal potential of capsaicinoids and capsinoids from the capsicum genus for the safeguarding of agrifood production: advantages and limitations for environmental health

• Autor(a) principal: Costa, Jéssica
• Data de Publicação: 2022
• Outros Autores: Sepúlveda, Marcela, Gallardo, Víctor, Cayún, Yasna, Santander, Christian, Ruíz, Antonieta, Reyes, Marjorie, Santos, Carla Isabel Arcanjo, Cornejo, Pablo, Lima, Nelson, Santos, Cledir
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: https://hdl.handle.net/1822/84269
• topic: red pepper; capsaicinoids; pungency; plant defence; biofungicides; secondary metabolites; Science & Technology

Opportunistic pathogenic fungi arise in agricultural crops as well as in surrounding human daily life. The recent increase in antifungal-resistant strains has created the need for new effective antifungals, particularly those based on plant secondary metabolites, such as capsaicinoids and capsinoids produced by <i>Capsicum</i> species. The use of such natural compounds is well-aligned with the One Health approach, which tries to find an equilibrium among people, animals, and the environment. Considering this, the main objective of the present work is to review the antifungal potential of capsaicinoids and capsinoids, and to evaluate the environmental and health impacts of biofungicides based on these compounds. Overall, capsaicinoids and their analogues can be used to control pathogenic fungi growth in plant crops, as eco-friendly alternatives to pest management, and assist in the conservation and long-term storage of agrifood products. Their application in different stages of the agricultural and food production chains improves food safety, nutritional value, and overcomes antimicrobial resistance, with a lower associated risk to humans, animals, and the environment than that of synthetic fungicides and pesticides. Nevertheless, research on the effect of these compounds on bee-like beneficial insects and the development of new preservatives and packaging materials is still necessary.