Mold - White, Gray
The Sclerotiniaceae family proves to be unwelcome dinner guests, helping themselves to your home or restaurant's produce and leaving behind only sniffles and coughs as parting gifts. Allow ActivePure to introduce you to this fungal family tree through two notorious branches: Sclerotinia Sclerotiorum (white mold) and Botrytis cinerea (gray mold).
White mold on plants
The mold family Sclerotiniaceae earns its name from certain species' tendency to form "sclerotia"—clumps of fungal fibers (hyphae) that harden together, sustaining the fungus as its food source depletes. Under the right conditions, these sclerotia release new spores into the soil, continuing the infection cycle by finding a host plant or being carried by wind currents.
These molds primarily target living plant matter, acting as necrotrophic plant parasites. When spores land on leaves, stems, fruit, or flowers, they secrete chemicals to evade the plant's immune system and digest its cells. The economic impact of these molds on agriculture is substantial, with collective crop losses exceeding $200 million annually for S. Sclerotiorum and estimated costs ranging from $10 billion to $100 billion worldwide for gray mold.
Sclerotinia Sclerotiorum:
White mold, residing in the soil, releases spores under cool and moist conditions. Identified by characteristic white cottony mycelium, it grows on infected aerial tissues, producing water-soaked lesions. White mold tends to infect legumes, sunflowers, canola, various vegetables, tobacco, flowering bedding plants, and stone fruits.
Botrytis Cinerea:
Botrytis cinerea, also known as gray mold, is a well-studied mold forming its genus within the Sclerotiniaceae family. Gray mold is the second most detrimental fungal pathogen for crops and tends to lie dormant in dead ground vegetation, reinfecting live plants as the weather warms. It forms a gray fuzz, particularly on strawberries.
Gray mold disease
While the impact of gray mold on humans is extensively researched, the effect of white mold remains largely unexplored. Under laboratory conditions, white mold has shown the release of toxins damaging to human cells, posing a risk to food quality. The following information on gray molds provides insight into potential future findings on other Sclerotiniaceae family members.
Infection:
Sclerotiniaceae molds seldom colonize humans, with most human fungal infections originating from other genera. There is only one recorded case of a related Botrytis species infecting a healthy adult.
Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis:
Two cases of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) linked to gray molds occurred in vineyard workers around 1987.
Asthma:
A 2022 study found a strong positive correlation between gray mold and the body's creation of an inflammatory protein associated with asthma (interleukin-17A).
Allergies:
Gray mold is a well-documented allergen, both indoors and outdoors. Indoors, gray mold allergens can be found in groceries, flowers, dust, carpets, wooden materials, and furniture. Despite constituting only 1.1% of all allergenic fungal bioaerosols outdoors, it is considered important and suggested for inclusion in standard allergy test panels.
Air purifier for mold
To reduce Sclerotiniaceae spores indoors, consider the following measures:
1. Control Moisture:
Prevent mold and moisture issues by identifying potential condensation spots, such as those created by the HVAC system, pipes, and ducts. Reducing moisture effectively curbs spore production.
2. Monitor Plants:
Regularly check indoor plants and flower bouquets for signs of mold infection. Pruning or treating mold colonies can reduce new spores entering the air. Avoid overwatering plants to prevent mold growth.
3. Contact ActivePure:
ActivePure Technology devices have been tested against airborne ascospores of white mold and airborne conidia of gray mold, demonstrating high efficacy in inactivating these spores over specific periods.