Antifungal Activity of LAE against Biofilm-Forming Fungi: Potential Application in Food Industry

Food waste and food poisoning derived from food contamination are huge issues in a globalized world like ours, where the distances between producer and consumer are ever greater. Biofilm-forming fungi are among the microorganisms more common in this sector. In the present work, antimicrobial and antibiofilm efficacy of Ethyl Lauroyl Arginate (LAE) was evaluated on some strains of fungi, specifically, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Aspergillus ochraceus, Penicillium italicum, Botryotinia fuckeliana and Fusarium oxysporum. LAE is a surfactant derived from lauric acid and arginine, approved and generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for certain food applications, due to the rapidity with which it is hydrolyzed by the human body. The MIC of the LAE was identified and its activity as an antibiofilm was evaluated for the cited fungal strains. Subsequently, the antimicrobial was used as an active part of a varnish-based antibiofilm coating that could be used for surfaces and packaging. Finally, an edible pectin-based film with LAE was tested in vivo against grapes inoculated with B. fuckeliana.