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We have investigated the relationship between chitosan treatments and maceration of potato tissue by macerating enzymes secreted by Erwinia carotovora causal agent of soft rot of potato. Erwinia isolated from potato showing soft rot symptoms was used for inoculation. The bacteria secreted a wide spectrum of enzymes that degraded potato cell walls. Polygalacturonase (PG), pectate lyase (PL), pectinmethylesterase (PME), cellulase, xylanase, and protease showed the highest activity in potato tissue inoculated with the pathogen. Accordingly increased maceration and cell death were observed. On the other hand, in chitosan-treated tissue and challenged with the pathogen, significant decrease in enzymatic activity and tissue maceration were observed, more so with increasing chitosan concentration. This observation confirmed that chitosan interfered with multiplication and pathogenic powers of the bacteria, thereby improving cell texture and viability. Crude extracts obtained from treatments were subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) to assess pectinase activity. The electophoretic profiles showed significant lytic zone of pectin degradation in the control, which decreased with increase in chitosan concentrations. No lytic zone was observed at 8 mg·ml –1 chitosan concentration and was comparable to intact activity in untreated potato tissue. Pectic enzyme reaction products were analyzed to see the action pattern of pectinases in the crude extracts. Cellulose choromatographic profiles revealed monomers and dimers of polygalacturonic acid up to 6 mg·ml –1 chitosan concentrations. The results suggest that chitosan significantly inhibits bacterial growth and the production of macerating enzymes by the pathogen and thus chitosan can be a potential anti-bacterial agent.
Reddy et al. (Sun,) studied this question.