Research progress on postharvest sweet potato spoilage fungi Ceratocystis fimbriata and control measures

Ceratocystis fimbriata Ellis & Halsted is a ubiquitous and devastating phytopathogen causing significant losses in harvested sweet potatoes. Furanoterpenoid toxins elicited by the C. fimbriata can cause hepatotoxicity, pneumonia and lung edema, and seriously threaten human health. Therefore, controlling C. fimbriata and limiting the storage losses of sweet potatoes are of critical importance to the economic value of sweet potatoes and human health. In this review, the mechanisms of phytopathogen infection and dispersal are summarized. Furanoterpenoid toxins incidence in the tuberous root and their toxicology are reviewed. Furthermore, the control methods of C. fimbriata and postharvest sweet potato spoilage were emphasized. Equipped with these understandings, this review aims to provide an important theoretical basis for the efficient prevention and control of C. fimbriata and the maintaining of the storage quality of sweet potatoes. Additionally, the key problems in sweet potato postharvest storage and areas of research that warrant further studies are analyzed and identified. Per our knowledge, the current manuscript is the first review to provide integrated and up-to-date information for scientists working with C. fimbriata.