Method for isolating antibacterial microorganisms from agricultural products and uses thereof

Abstract

Provided herein is a composition comprising one or more antimicrobial microorganisms and one or more fatty acid derivatives, particularly fatty acids or salts or esters thereof. Also provided is a method for identifying the antimicrobial microorganisms in a plurality of spoiled agricultural products, as well as a method for reducing microbial growth in agricultural products, delaying the onset of microbial growth in agricultural products, improving the shelf life of agricultural products, and reducing drying out of agricultural products, each of which comprises coating the products with a plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] Priority claim This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 293,405, filed December 23, 2021, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.

[0002] Sequence Listing This application contains a Sequence Listing that has been submitted electronically as an XML file titled 42175-0095WO1_SL_ST26.xml. This XML file, created on December 22, 2022, is 123,787 bytes in size. This material in XML file format is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0003] Technical Field The present disclosure relates to the inhibition of spoilage of agricultural products using antimicrobial microorganisms. [Background technology]

[0004] background Many common agricultural products are susceptible to deterioration and decomposition, also known as spoilage, when exposed to the environment. Such deterioration can be caused by biotic stressors, such as bacterial, fungal, or viral infection and / or pest infestation, or by abiotic stressors, such as loss of water from the outer surface of the product to the atmosphere via evaporation. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Conventional approaches to prevent spoilage, preserve quality, and increase shelf life of agricultural produce include special packaging and / or refrigeration. These approaches can be expensive and require active management. New approaches are needed to prevent spoilage, preserve quality, and increase shelf life of agricultural produce. Such approaches may require, for example, edible barrier coatings or coatings with antimicrobial properties. Edible barrier coatings on agricultural produce can, for example, shield the produce from threats such as fungi, bacteria, viruses, and can prevent water loss from the produce and / or oxidation of the produce. Modifications of the composition to better inhibit microbial growth while reducing water loss can be beneficial, but finding a compatible solution that performs both functions can be a challenge. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] overview This document is based, at least in part, on the discovery that application of antimicrobial microorganisms to agricultural produce (e.g., fruits and / or vegetables) can prevent, inhibit, slow, or delay the growth of biological stressors that cause food spoilage or decay, such as fungi (e.g., molds), bacteria, or other microorganisms. The agricultural produce can be coated with one or more antimicrobial microorganisms (e.g., one or more antifungal microorganisms), one or more antimicrobial microbial lysates, and / or one or more conditioned media or supernatants of the antimicrobial microorganisms. The antimicrobial microorganisms can be combined with one or more fatty acid derivatives (e.g., one or more fatty acids, fatty acid esters, or combinations thereof and one or more fatty acid salts) in a composition that can be used as an edible barrier coating. Such coatings can be applied, for example, to extend shelf life, retard ripening, prevent moisture loss or oxygen diffusion (which leads to oxidation), and prevent or limit scratching or damage to the surface of the agricultural produce.

[0007] Provided herein are compositions that include: a) a plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms, or conditioned medium of a culture of a plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms; and b) one or more fatty acid derivatives.

[0008] In some embodiments, the one or more fatty acid derivatives include one or more fatty acids, fatty acid esters, or combinations thereof, and one or more fatty acid salts. In some embodiments, the composition includes about 60% to about 99.99% by weight of one or more fatty acids, fatty acid esters, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the composition includes about 0.01% to about 40% by weight of one or more fatty acid salts. In some embodiments, the composition includes about 60% to about 99.99% by weight of one fatty acid or fatty acid ester; and about 0.01% to about 40% by weight of one fatty acid salt. In some embodiments, the composition includes about 60% to about 99.99% by weight of two fatty acids, fatty acid esters, or combinations thereof; and about 0.01% to about 40% by weight of one fatty acid salt. In some embodiments, the composition comprises from about 60% to about 99.99% by weight of one fatty acid or fatty acid ester; and from about 0.01% to about 40% by weight of two fatty acid salts. In some embodiments, the composition comprises from about 60% to about 99.99% by weight of two fatty acids, fatty acid esters, or combinations thereof; and from about 0.01% to about 40% by weight of two fatty acid salts.

[0009] In some embodiments, each of the one or more fatty acids, fatty acid esters, or combinations thereof is an independently selected compound of formula IA as disclosed herein. In some embodiments, each compound of formula I is an independently selected compound of formula IA-A as disclosed herein. In some embodiments, each fatty acid salt is an independently selected compound of formula IIA as disclosed herein.

[0010] In some embodiments, the plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms comprises antimicrobial microorganisms of one or more different genera, hi some embodiments, the plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms are from a genus selected from Arthrobacter, Bacillus, Curtobacterium, Frigoribacterium, Kocuria, Mucilaginibacter, Niallia, Pantoea, Pseudoarthrobacter, Pseudomonas, Streptomyces, and Thermothelomyces.In some embodiments, the multiple antimicrobial microorganisms are selected from the group consisting of Arthrobacter agilis, Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus toyonensis, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus aryanhattai, Bacillus aerophilus, Bacillus stratosphericus, Curtobacterium pusillum, Frigoribacterium endophyticum, Kocuria dechangensis, Kocuria rosea, and the like. The plurality of antibacterial microorganisms includes strains of a species selected from Bacillus sp., Mucilaginibacter terrae, Niallia nealsonii, Pantoea allii, Pseudoarthrobacter phenanthrenivorans, Pseudomonas moraviensis, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Streptomyces thermocarboxydus, and Thermothelomyces thermophilus. In some embodiments, the plurality of antibacterial microorganisms includes two or more different strains of antibacterial microorganisms. In some embodiments, the plurality of antibacterial microorganisms includes Bacillus sp. strain 22. In some embodiments, the plurality of antibacterial microorganisms comprises Pseudomonas strain 1. In some embodiments, the plurality of antibacterial microorganisms comprises Bacillus strain 12. In some embodiments, the plurality of antibacterial microorganisms comprises Bacillus strain 15.In some embodiments, the plurality of antibacterial microorganisms comprises Bacillus strain 23. In some embodiments, the plurality of antibacterial microorganisms comprises Bacillus strain 24. In some embodiments, the plurality of antibacterial microorganisms comprises Bacillus strain 35. In some embodiments, the plurality of antibacterial microorganisms comprises Streptomyces strain 33. In some embodiments, the plurality of antibacterial microorganisms comprises Pantoea strain 37. In some embodiments, the plurality of antibacterial microorganisms comprises strain 17. In some embodiments, the plurality of antibacterial microorganisms comprises strain 34. In some embodiments, the plurality of antibacterial microorganisms comprises strain 38.

[0011] In some embodiments, the plurality of antibacterial microorganisms includes microorganisms having a 16S rRNA gene of at least 95% sequence identity to one or more of SEQ ID NOs:1-57.

[0012] In some embodiments, the composition comprises 10 3 ~10 10 Contains CFU of antibacterial microorganisms.

[0013] Also provided herein is a method of identifying an antimicrobial microorganism from a plurality of agricultural products, the method comprising: a) storing the plurality of agricultural products until at least 90% of the agricultural products show detectable signs of spoilage; and b) isolating the antimicrobial microorganism from agricultural products that show minimal detectable signs of spoilage.

[0014] In some embodiments, the plurality of agricultural produce are treated with a food spoilage pathogen prior to storage. In some embodiments, the food spoilage pathogen is a fungal or bacterial species. In some embodiments, the method further comprises assaying the antimicrobial microorganism for antimicrobial activity after isolation of the antimicrobial microorganism. In some embodiments, the detectable signs of spoilage are selected from discoloration, changes in starch to soluble sugar ratio, mass loss, changes in texture, visual signs of biological stressor growth, development of off-flavors, development of off-flavors, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the discoloration is selected from browning, yellowing, blackening, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the texture change is selected from softening, wrinkling, increased fiber, increased sliminess, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the biological stressor is selected from a fungus, a bacteria, and combinations thereof.

[0015] In some embodiments, the occurrence of off-flavors comprises an increase in the production of one or more spoilage metabolites. In some embodiments, the occurrence of off-flavors comprises an increase in the production of one or more spoilage metabolites. In some embodiments, the one or more spoilage metabolites are selected from organic acids, thiols, sulfides, thioesters, ammonia or a salt thereof, indoles, skatoles, biogenic amines or a salt thereof, pyridine or a salt thereof, pyrazine or a salt thereof, gluconates or derivatives thereof, ketones, aldehydes, alcohols, esters, and geosmin. In some embodiments, the one or more organic acids are selected from lactic acid, acetic acid, butyric acid, propionic acid, and formic acid.

[0016] Also provided herein is a method of reducing microbial growth in agricultural produce comprising coating the agricultural produce with a first composition comprising a plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms or conditioned medium of a plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms.

[0017] Also provided herein is a method of delaying the occurrence of microbial growth in agricultural produce, comprising coating the agricultural produce with a first composition comprising a plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms or conditioned medium of a plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms.

[0018] Also provided herein is a method of improving the shelf life of an agricultural produce comprising coating the agricultural produce with a first composition comprising a plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms or a conditioned medium of a plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms.

[0019] Also provided herein is a method of reducing drying out of agricultural produce, comprising coating the agricultural produce with a first composition comprising a plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms or a conditioned medium of a plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms.

[0020] In some embodiments, the first composition further comprises a fatty acid derivative. In some embodiments, the method further comprises coating the agricultural produce with a second composition comprising a fatty acid derivative. In some embodiments, the one or more fatty acid derivatives comprise one or more fatty acids, fatty acid esters, or combinations thereof and one or more fatty acid salts.

[0021] In some embodiments, the coating with the second composition is performed simultaneously with the coating with the first composition.

[0022] In some embodiments, the agricultural produce is coated prior to harvest. In some embodiments, the agricultural produce is coated after harvest.

[0023] In some embodiments, coating the agricultural produce comprises spraying or misting the agricultural produce with the composition. In some embodiments, coating the agricultural produce comprises dipping the agricultural produce into the composition. In some embodiments, coating the agricultural produce comprises brushing the agricultural produce with the composition. In some embodiments, brushing is performed using a brush mount.

[0024] In some embodiments, agricultural products include fruits, vegetables, plants, or flowers.

[0025] The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a method for isolating antibacterial (e.g., antifungal) microorganisms from agricultural produce. In step 1, the agricultural produce may either be infected with a pathogen or allowed to decay naturally. In step 2, agricultural produce that is slow to grow or resistant to pathogen growth or decay is selected and microorganisms are extracted from the outer surface of the agricultural produce. In step 3, microorganisms are isolated from the extraction supernatant and tested for antibacterial (e.g., antifungal) properties. In step 4, the effectiveness of the antibacterial (e.g., antifungal) isolate is tested by treating the infected agricultural produce. [Diagram 2] Depiction of Botrytis cinerea (Bc) in vitro antifungal assay. The plate on the left is a representative control plate with a pure Bc culture growing thereon. The plate on the right is the test plate in the growth inhibition assay. The left side of the plate was inoculated with Pseudomonas sp. 0001 and the right side of the plate was inoculated with Bc. [Diagram 3] Depiction of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Cg) in vitro antifungal assay. The plate on the left is a representative control plate with pure Cg culture. The plate on the right is a test plate in a growth inhibition assay. The left side of the test plate was inoculated with Cg and the right side was inoculated with Pseudomonas sp. 0001. [Figure 4]Depiction of Penicillium digitatum (Pd) in vitro antifungal assay. The plate on the left is a representative control plate with pure Pd culture. The plate on the right shows a growth inhibition assay. The left side of the plate was inoculated with Pseudomonas sp. 0001 and the right side of the plate was inoculated with Pd. [Diagram 5] Depiction of Penicillium italicum (Pi) in vitro antifungal assay. The plate on the left is a representative control plate with pure Pi culture. The plate on the right shows the growth inhibition assay. The left side of the plate was inoculated with Pseudomonas sp. 0001 and the right side of the plate was inoculated with Pi. b [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a graph of disease index for grapevine infected with Botrytis cinerea at 5 (left bar), 6 (middle bar), or 7 (right bar) days post-infection with various treatments, including treatment with Bacillus strain 0012 (treatment 12). [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a phylogenetic tree inferred using the 16S rDNA sequences described herein. [Figure 8] Depiction of the volatile organic compounds (VOC) assay scale: 0-no inhibition (top left); 1-slight inhibition (top right); 2-(b,c) large inhibition; 2-(d) large inhibition; and 3-complete inhibition. Each plate contains, clockwise from the top, a-B. cinerea; b-P. italicum; c-P. digitatum; and d-C. gloeosporioides. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] Detailed Description The compositions described herein can be applied to plants or agricultural produce to form a protective coating or to enhance or modify an existing coating (either naturally occurring or deposited) on the exterior surface of the produce. The applied coating can serve to protect the produce from biotic stressors, such as, for example, bacteria, fungi, viruses, archaea, protozoans, pathogens, and / or pests, or can alter the physical and / or chemical environment of the surface or soil of the agricultural produce to create conditions unfavorable to growth for the biotic stressors.

[0028] Exemplary methods and materials are described herein. Methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can also be used in the practice or testing of various aspects and embodiments. The materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and are not intended to be limiting. Each embodiment of this disclosure can be taken alone or in combination with one or more other embodiments of this disclosure.

[0029] definition In order to make this disclosure more readily understandable, certain terms are defined at the beginning. These definitions should be read in light of the remainder of this disclosure as understood by those skilled in the art. Additional definitions are provided throughout the detailed description. Unless otherwise defined herein, scientific and technical terms used in this application shall have the meanings that are commonly understood by those skilled in the art. In the event of any conflict, the present specification, including definitions, shall control.

[0030] As used herein, the term "microorganism" refers to any bacterium, fungus, archaea, or protist. As used herein, the term "antimicrobial microorganism" refers to any microorganism that kills, inhibits, slows, or prevents the growth of another microorganism, including fungal growth, such as mold growth.

[0031] As used herein, the term "agricultural produce spoilage associated microorganisms" refers to any microorganism associated with spoilage of agricultural produce, including any bacteria, fungi, archaea, or protists. Spoilage can include softening, wrinkling, increased fibrousness, increased sliminess, and combinations thereof, of the agricultural produce.

[0032] As used herein, the term "conditioned medium" refers to the liquid portion of spent fermentation or growth medium after the cells have been removed, for example by centrifugation. Conditioned medium may also be referred to as supernatant, culture supernatant, or microbial supernatant.

[0033] As used herein, the term "alkyl" refers to a saturated linear or branched monovalent hydrocarbon radical having the indicated number of carbon atoms. For example, "C 1~6 "Alkyl" refers to a saturated straight or branched chain monovalent hydrocarbon group of one to six carbon atoms. Non-limiting examples of alkyl include methyl, ethyl, 1-propyl, isopropyl, 1-butyl, isobutyl, sec-butyl, tert-butyl, 2-methyl-2-propyl, pentyl, neopentyl, and hexyl.

[0034] As used herein, the term "alkenyl" refers to a straight or branched monounsaturated hydrocarbon chain having the indicated number of carbon atoms. For example, "C 2~6 "Alkenyl" refers to a straight or branched monounsaturated hydrocarbon chain of 2 to 6 carbon atoms. Non-limiting examples of alkenyl include ethenyl, propenyl, butenyl, or pentenyl.

[0035] As used herein, the term "alkoxy" refers to an -O-alkyl group that is located on an oxygen atom. For example, 1~6 "Alkoxy" is -O-(C 1~6 Alkoxy refers to a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl (alkyl) group that is attached to an oxygen atom. Examples of alkoxy include methoxy, ethoxy, propoxy, isopropoxy, butoxy, and tert-butoxy.

[0036] As used herein, the term "cycloalkyl" refers to a saturated or partially saturated cyclic hydrocarbon having the indicated number of carbon atoms. For example, "C3-C6 cycloalkyl" refers to a saturated or partially saturated cyclic hydrocarbon having from 3 to 6 ring carbon atoms. Non-limiting examples of cycloalkyl include cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, and cyclohexyl.

[0037] As used herein, the term "heterocycle" refers to a monocyclic non-aromatic ring system having the indicated number of ring atoms (e.g., a 3- to 6-membered heterocycle) having 1 to 3 heteroatoms selected from O, N, or S. Examples of heterocyclic groups include oxiranyl, piperazinyl, pyrrolidinyl, dioxanyl, morpholinyl, and tetrahydrofuranyl.

[0038] As used herein, a "fatty acid derivative" refers to a hydrocarbon chain that includes an ester, acid, or carboxylate group, collectively referred to as an "oxycarbonyl moiety," attached to one end that is understood to be the "hydrophilic" end; while the opposite end is understood to be the "hydrophobic" end. Fatty acid derivatives include fatty acids, fatty acid esters (e.g., monoglycerides), and fatty acid salts.

[0039] All ranges disclosed herein should be understood to include any and all subranges subsumed therein. For example, a range specified as "1 to 10" should be considered to include any and all subranges between a minimum value of 1 and a maximum value of 10 (and including the endpoints); i.e., subranges beginning with a minimum value of 1 or greater, e.g., 1 to 6.1, and subranges ending with a maximum value of 10 or less, e.g., 5.5 to 10.

[0040] The term "about" when referring to a measurable value, such as an amount, time duration, and the like, refers to a variation of ±10%, or in some cases ±2%, or in some cases ±1% from the specified value, where such variations are appropriate to the practice of the present disclosure.

[0041] Throughout this specification and the embodiments, the phrase "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a specified whole or group of wholes, but not the exclusion of any other whole or group of wholes.

[0042] The terms "including" or "includes" are used to mean "including but not limited to." "Including" and "including but not limited to" are used interchangeably.

[0043] Any example or examples following the term "eg" or "for example" are not meant to be exhaustive or limiting.

[0044] Unless otherwise required by context, singular terms shall include pluralities and plural terms shall include the singular.

[0045] The articles "a", "an" and "the" are used herein to refer to one or to more than one (i.e., to at least one) of the grammatical referent of the article.

[0046] composition Described herein are compositions, e.g., edible barrier coatings, that can be used to improve the shelf life of agricultural produce, for example, by preventing, inhibiting, retarding, or slowing the onset of microbial growth. The compositions can include antimicrobial (e.g., antifungal) microorganisms, including viable or non-viable antimicrobial microorganisms (e.g., antimicrobial microbial lysates), and / or conditioned media or supernatants thereof, and can be combined with one or more fatty acid derivatives (e.g., one or more fatty acids, fatty acid esters, or combinations thereof and one or more fatty acid salts) to prepare an edible barrier coating.

[0047] Embodiments of the antimicrobial (e.g., antifungal) compositions described herein provide several advantages including, for example, (1) the formation of agricultural coating formulations capable of protecting agricultural produce from biotic stressors (e.g., bacteria, viruses, fungi, archaea, protozoa, pathogens, and / or pests); (2) the formation of agricultural coating formulations capable of preventing evaporation of water and / or the diffusion of oxygen and / or other gaseous species (e.g., carbon dioxide and ethylene); (3) the extension of the shelf life of agricultural produce, e.g., pre- or post-harvest agricultural produce, without refrigeration; (4) the introduction of mechanical stability to the surface of agricultural produce, thereby helping to prevent the types of dents and surface cracks that accelerate spoilage; (5) the reduction of photodegradation of agricultural produce; and (6) the replacement of pesticides to protect plants from biotic and abiotic stressors, thereby minimizing the deleterious effects of pesticides on human health and the environment.

[0048] In any embodiment described herein, the composition can include a plurality of antibacterial (e.g., antifungal) microorganisms and / or their conditioned media. The antibacterial microorganisms can be bacteria, fungi, archaea, or protozoa. Such antibacterial microorganisms can prevent, inhibit, retard, or slow the growth of fungi or other food spoilage-associated microorganisms, including food spoilage-associated bacteria. Without wishing to be bound by theory, antibacterial microorganisms can actively prevent, inhibit, retard, or slow the growth of microorganisms by secreting components, such as peptides or molecules, that directly interfere with microbial growth. Alternatively, antibacterial microorganisms can prevent, inhibit, retard, or slow the growth of microorganisms by competing with the microorganisms for nutrients or other essential compounds required for growth, such as macronutrients, micronutrients, or carbon sources.

[0049] In some embodiments, the plurality of antibacterial microorganisms includes bacteria. In some embodiments, the plurality of antibacterial microorganisms includes gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the plurality of antibacterial microorganisms is from the class Actinomycetes, Bacilli, or Gammaproteobacteria. In some embodiments, the plurality of antibacterial microorganisms are from the genera Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, Arthrobacter, Bacillus, Curtobacterium, Frigoribacterium, Kocuria, Mucilaginibacter, Niallia, Pantoea, Pseudoarthrobacter, Pseudomonas, Streptomyces, and Thermothelomyces. In some embodiments, the multiple antimicrobial microorganisms include Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus toyonensis, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus aryanhattai, Bacillus aerophilus, Bacillus stratosphericus, Pantoea allii, Pseudomonas moraviensis, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Streptomyces thermocarboxydus, Lactobacillus spp.spp., Lactobacillus rossiae, Lactobacillus amylovorus, Lactobacillus harbinensis, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus spicheri, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus paracasie, Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus helveticus helveticus, Lactobacillus sakei, Leuconostoc carnosum, Leuconostoc citreum, Leuconostoc durionis, Leuconostoc fallax, Leuconostoc falkenbergense, Leuconostoc ficulneum, Leuconostoc fructosum, Leuconostoc garlicum, Leuconostoc gasicomitatum, Leuconostoc gelidum gelidum, Leuconostoc inhae, Leuconostoc kimchi, Leuconostoc lactis, Leuconostoc mesenteroidesmesenteroides, Leuconostoc miyukkimchii, Leuconostoc palmae, Leuconostoc pseudoficulneum, Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides, Leuconostoc rapi, Leuconostoc suionicum, Pediococcus acidilactici, Pediococcus cellicola, Pediococcus claussenii, Pediococcus damnosus damnosus, Pediococcus ethanolidurans, Pediococcus inopinatus, Pediococcus parvulus, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Pediococcus stilesii, Arthrobacter agilis, Curtobacterium pusillum, Frigoribacterium endophyticum, Kocuria dechangensis, Kocuria rosea rosea, Mucilaginibacter terrae, Niallia nealsonii, Pseudoarthrobacter phenanthrenivorans, and Thermothelomyces thermophilus.The present invention also includes strains of species selected from the group consisting of genus Thermophilus.

[0050] In some embodiments, the plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms includes a fungus. In some embodiments, the plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms includes a yeast or mold. For example, the fungus included in the plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms can be of the genus Cryptococcus, Aureobasidium, Candida, Sporidiobolus, Saccharomyces, Debaryomyces, Dekkera, Issatchenikia, Kluyveromyces, Pichia, Sporoblomyces, Torulaspora, Epichloe, or Neotyphodium.Fungal species included in the multiple antimicrobial microorganisms include Cryptococcus magnus, Aureobasidium pullulans, Candida zeylanoides, C. sake, Sporidiobolus pararoseus, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. cervisiae, S. chevalieri, S. kluyveri, Epichloe, amarillans, E. baconii, E. brachyelytri, E. bromicola, E. clarkia, E. elymi, E. festucae, E. glyceriae, E. sylvatica, E. typhina, E. yangzii, Neotyphodium aotearoae aotearoae, N. australiense, N. chisosum, N. soenophialum, N. huerfanum, N. gansuense, N. inebrians, N. occultans, N. lolii, N. melicicola, N. siegelii, N. starrii, N. tembladerae, N. typhinum, and N. uncinatum.

[0051] Antimicrobial microorganisms that are bacteria can be identified using sequence identity, for example at least 90% sequence identity (e.g., 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, 99.5%, or 100%) with the 16S rRNA gene. Antimicrobial microorganisms that are fungi, such as molds, can be identified using sequence identity with the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region 1 or 2 (ITS1 or ITS2).

[0052] In some embodiments, the antibacterial microorganisms described herein are identified using 16S rRNA gene sequences. The primary structure of the major rRNA subunit 16S contains a specific combination of conserved, variable, and hypervariable regions that evolve at different rates, allowing the elucidation of both very ancient lineages, such as domains, and more recent lineages, such as genera. The secondary structure of the 16S subunit contains about 50 helices, resulting in about 67% of the residues being base-paired. The hypervariable regions can provide species / strain-specific signature sequences that are useful for identifying bacteria.

[0053] Antimicrobial microorganisms can be divided into genera based on polyphasic taxonomy, which incorporates all available phenotypic and genotypic data into an agreed upon classification (Vandamme et al., 1996, Microbiol Rev, 60:407-438). In some embodiments, sequence identity of 94.5% or less for the two 16S rRNA genes is strong evidence for a separate genus, 86.5% or less is strong evidence for a separate family, 82% or less is strong evidence for a separate order, 78.5% is strong evidence for a separate class, and 75% or less is strong evidence for a separate phylum. Populations that share more than 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 99.9% identity can also be considered to be variants of the same species. Another commonly accepted genotyping method to define species is to isolate the marker genes of the present disclosure, sequence those genes, and align those sequenced genes from multiple isolates or mutants.

[0054] Another accepted genotyping method for defining species is based on overall genomic relatedness, which indicates a ΔT of 5°C or less under standard conditions. m Strains that share approximately 70% or greater relatedness using DNA-DNA hybridization (difference in melting temperatures between homologous and heterologous hybrids) are considered to be members of the same species.

[0055] The antibacterial microorganisms and variants thereof described herein may be characterized, in part or in whole, by comparing at least one 16S rRNA sequence with the corresponding 16S rRNA sequence of a reference strain genome sequence. Generally, a bacterial strain genome sequence will contain multiple copies of the 16S rRNA sequence. The 16S rRNA gene sequence has been determined for many strains. Comparing bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences allows for the identification of novel strains by sequence comparison with known bacterial DNA sequences, for example, using BLAST (blast.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov / Blast.cgi). In short, comparing 16S rRNA sequences allows for classification of strains at multiple levels, including species and subspecies levels, as well as differentiation of organisms at the genus level across the major bacterial phyla.

[0056] The term "percent sequence identity" or "identity", in the context of two or more nucleic acids or polypeptides, refers to a measure of similarity between those two or more sequences. Percent identity can be measured by any method known to those of skill in the art, including using sequence comparison software, algorithms, and by visual inspection. In general, the percent identity of two or more sequences (e.g., nucleic acid or amino acid sequences), also referred to as "percent sequence identity", is calculated by determining the number of matching positions in the aligned nucleic acid or amino acid sequences, dividing the number of matching positions by the total number of aligned nucleotides or amino acids, respectively, and multiplying by 100. A matching position refers to a position where the same nucleotide or amino acid appears at the same position in the aligned sequences.

[0057] By way of example, the total number of aligned nucleotides may refer to the minimum number of 16S rRNA gene nucleotides necessary to align with a second sequence, not including alignments (e.g., forced alignments) with non-16S rRNA gene sequences. The total number of aligned nucleotides may correspond to the entire 16S rRNA gene sequence or may correspond to a fragment of the full-length 16S rRNA gene sequence.

[0058] Sequences can be aligned using an algorithm, for example, as described by Altschul et al. (Nucleic Acids Res, 25:3389-3402, 1997), and imported into the BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) program available at ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Once a BLAST search or alignment has been performed, the Altschul et al. algorithm can be used to determine the percent sequence identity between the 16S rRNA gene nucleic acid and any other sequence or portion thereof. BLASTN can be used to align and compare identity between nucleic acid sequences, while BLASTP can be used to align and compare identity between amino acid sequences. When using the BLAST program to calculate the percent identity between a 16S rRNA gene sequence and another sequence, the default parameters of the program are used. Generally, bacterial strain genome sequences will contain multiple copies of the 16S rRNA gene sequence. The 16S rRNA gene sequence can be used to distinguish between species and strains. For example, if one or more of the 16S rRNA gene sequences share less than 97% sequence identity with a reference sequence, then the two organisms from which the sequences were obtained may be different species or strains.

[0059] The composition may include a plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or more antimicrobial microorganisms. In some embodiments, the composition includes a plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms selected from strains 1-116 (see Table 4). In some embodiments, an antimicrobial microorganism in the plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms comprises a 16S rRNA sequence that is at least 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, 99.1%, 99.2%, 99.3%, 99.4%, 99.5%, 99.6%, 99.7%, 99.8%, 99.9%, or 100% identical to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-57 (see Tables 1 and 4).

[0060] [Table 1]

[0061] [Table 2]

[0062] [Table 3]

[0063] [Table 4]

[0064] In some embodiments, the composition contains two or more different genera (e.g., three or more, four or more, five or more, or six or more) of antimicrobial microorganisms. In some embodiments, the composition contains two or more different species (e.g., three or more, four or more, five or more, or six or more) of antimicrobial microorganisms. In some embodiments, the composition contains two or more different strains (e.g., three or more, four or more, five or more, or six or more) of antimicrobial microorganisms.

[0065] In some embodiments, the composition comprises about 10 3 ~about 10 10 Contains colony forming units (CFU) of antibacterial microorganisms.

[0066] The compositions described herein can include viable or non-viable antimicrobial microorganisms (e.g., antimicrobial microbial lysates), or conditioned media or supernatants of any of the antimicrobial microorganisms described herein.

[0067] In some embodiments, the composition comprises one or more viable or non-viable antimicrobial microorganisms, or conditioned media or supernatants thereof, in an amount that prevents, inhibits, retards, limits, or slows microbial growth on agricultural produce compared to agricultural produce that has not been treated with a composition containing one or more antimicrobial microorganisms. Microbial growth assays can include culture assays, transcriptome analysis, proteomic analysis, or protein analysis. Culture assays can include, for example, evaluating the growth of the microorganism to be inhibited in the presence or absence of the antimicrobial microorganism. Transcriptome analysis can include, for example, assaying for the presence or abundance of RNA transcripts associated with inhibition, prevention, retardation, or slowing of microbial growth, such as by whole transcriptome analysis or targeted analysis, such as reverse transcription PCR, quantitative PCR, Northern blot, RNA blot, or other methods. Proteomic analysis can include, for example, assaying for the presence or abundance of proteins associated with inhibiting, preventing, retarding, or slowing microbial growth by whole proteomic analysis or targeted protein analysis, such as by Western blot, liquid chromatography, or other methods.

[0068] In some embodiments, the antimicrobial microorganism may be non-viable. In some embodiments, the antimicrobial microorganism is lysed. The antimicrobial microorganism may be lysed by chemical, acoustic, or mechanical methods. Chemical cell lysis methods may include osmotic lysis and the use of chelating agents such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), detergents, and chaotropic agents such as urea or guanidine. Acoustic cell lysis methods may include sonication. Mechanical cell lysis methods may include liquid-based homogenization by forcing the cell culture through a narrow space such as a needle or French press, shearing the cell membrane, expansion during freezing, and freeze-thaw cycles to lyse cells by forming ice crystals.

[0069] In some embodiments, the compositions include a plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms and one or more fatty acid derivatives (e.g., one or more fatty acids, one or more fatty acid esters, or combinations thereof, and one or more fatty acid salts) that can be applied to an agricultural produce, for example, as a coating. The antimicrobial microorganisms and fatty acid derivatives can be applied to the agricultural produce together or separately.

[0070] In some embodiments, the antimicrobial microorganism and the fatty acid derivative can be applied sequentially. For example, the antimicrobial microorganism can be applied to the agricultural produce, and then the fatty acid derivative can be applied to the agricultural produce. In some embodiments, applying the antimicrobial microorganism separately from the fatty acid derivative can prevent damage to the antimicrobial organism during the formulation process, such as damage caused by heat, osmotic stress, mechanical damage, pH, or removal of necessary enzyme cofactors.

[0071] Any of the antimicrobial microorganisms described herein and / or the fatty acid derivatives described herein can be combined with additional coating agents or coating components, for example, to increase the stability, durability, ease of use, or effectiveness of the composition in preventing, inhibiting, retarding, or slowing the growth of food spoilage microorganisms, such as fungi.

[0072] In some embodiments, the composition comprises one or more fatty acid derivatives. In some embodiments, the one or more fatty acid derivatives comprise one or more fatty acids, one or more fatty acid esters, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the one or more fatty acid derivatives comprise one or more fatty acid salts.

[0073] In some embodiments, the composition comprises one or more compounds of formula IA, formula IA-A, formula IA-Ai, formula IA-A-ii, formula IA-B, formula IIA, or any combination thereof.

[0074] In some embodiments, when a composition comprises two or more compounds of formula IA, formula IA-A, formula IA-Ai, formula IA-A-ii, formula IA-B, and / or formula IIA, the weight ratio of the two compounds is from about 1:1 to about 10:1.

[0075] In some embodiments, the composition comprises about 40% to about 100% by weight of one or more compounds of formula IA, formula IA-A, formula IA-Ai, formula IA-A-ii, and formula IA-B.

[0076] In some embodiments, when a composition comprises two compounds of formula IA, formula IA-A, formula IA-Ai, formula IA-A-ii, and / or formula IA-B (e.g., two compounds of formula IA-Ai, two compounds of formula IA-A-ii, or one compound of formula IA-Ai and one compound of formula IA-A-ii), each compound is independently about 0.1% to about 99% of the composition by weight. In some embodiments, when a composition comprises two compounds of formula IA, formula IA-A, formula IA-Ai, formula IA-A-ii, and / or formula IA-B (e.g., two compounds of formula IA-Ai, two compounds of formula IA-A-ii, or one compound of formula IA-Ai and one compound of formula IA-A-ii), the molar or weight ratio of the two compounds is about 350:1 to about 1:10.

[0077] In some embodiments, the composition comprises from about 1% to about 50% by weight of one or more compounds (e.g., one or two) of formula IIA. In some embodiments, when the composition comprises two compounds of formula IIA, the molar or weight ratio of the two compounds is from about 1:20 to about 20:1.

[0078] In some embodiments, when the composition comprises two compounds of formula IIA, each compound is independently from about 1% to about 49% of the composition by weight.

[0079] In some embodiments, when the composition comprises a compound of formula IA-Ai and a compound of formula IA-A-ii, the weight or molar ratio of the compound of formula IA-Ai to the compound of formula IA-A-ii is about 1:10 to about 10:1. In some embodiments, the weight or molar ratio of the compound of formula IA-A-ii to the compound of formula IA-Ai is about 1:10 to about 10:1.

[0080] In some embodiments, when the composition comprises two compounds of formula IA-Ai, the weight or molar ratio of one of the compounds of formula IA-Ai to the other of the compounds of formula IA-Ai is from about 1:10 to about 10:1.

[0081] In some embodiments, when the composition comprises two compounds of formula IA-A-ii, the weight or molar ratio of one of the compounds of formula IA-A-ii to the other compound of formula IA-A-ii is from about 1:10 to about 10:1.

[0082] In some embodiments, the composition comprises a compound of formula IA-Ai and a compound of formula IIA. In some embodiments, the weight or molar ratio of the compound of formula IA-Ai to the compound of formula IIA is about 30:1 to about 1:1. In some embodiments, the composition comprises about 40% to about 100% by weight of the compound of formula IA-Ai. In some embodiments, the composition comprises about 1% to about 50% by weight of the compound of formula IIA.

[0083] In some embodiments, the compound of formula IA-Ai, wherein R A1 and R A2 is H;R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , and R 9 is independently selected from H and OH; R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11Bis H for each occurrence; and the sum of o and p is 11 to 13. For example, the compound of formula IA-Ai is 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl octadecanoate. In some embodiments, in the compound of formula IIA, R A1 and R A2 is H;R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , and R 9 is independently selected from H and OH; R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B is H for each occurrence; and the sum of o and p is 11 to 13. For example, the compound of formula IIA is sodium stearate. In some embodiments, the composition comprises about 70% 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl octadecanoate and about 30% sodium stearate. In some embodiments, the composition comprises about 94% 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl octadecanoate and about 6% sodium stearate. In some embodiments, the composition comprises 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl octadecanoate and sodium stearate in a weight ratio of about 70:30 or about 94:6. In some embodiments, the composition further comprises citric acid, sodium bicarbonate, or both. In some embodiments, the composition comprises citric acid and sodium bicarbonate. In some embodiments, the molar ratio of citric acid to sodium bicarbonate is about 1:5 to about 1:1. In some embodiments, the weight percentage of citric acid in the composition is from about 0.2% to about 2. In some embodiments, the combined weight percentage of citric acid and sodium bicarbonate in the composition is from about 0.2% to about 2%.

[0084] In some embodiments, the composition comprises a compound of formula IA-Ai and two compounds of formula IIA. In some embodiments, the weight or molar ratio of the compound of formula IA-Ai to both compounds of formula IIA is about 30:1 to about 1:1. In some embodiments, the weight or molar ratio of one compound of formula IIA to the other compound of formula IIA is about 1:20 to about 20:1. In some embodiments, the composition comprises about 40% to about 100% compound of formula IA-Ai by weight.

[0085] In some embodiments, the composition comprises about 1% to about 50% by weight of both compounds of formula IIA. In some embodiments, the compound of formula IA-Ai, R A1 and R A2 is H;R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , and R 9 is independently selected from H and OH; R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B is H for each occurrence; and the sum of o and p is 11 to 13. For example, the compound of formula IA-Ai is 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl octadecanoate. In some embodiments, in each compound of formula IIA, R A1 and R A2 is H;R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , and R 9 is independently selected from H and OH; R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11Bis H for each occurrence; and the sum of o and p is 11 to 13. In some embodiments, the sum of o and p in one compound of formula IIA is 13, and the sum of o and p in the other compound of formula IIA is 11. For example, one compound of formula IIA is sodium stearate and the other compound of formula IIA is sodium palmitate. In some embodiments, the composition comprises about 70% 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl octadecanoate and about 30% sodium stearate and sodium palmitate in an approximate weight ratio of about 1:2 to about 2:1. In some embodiments, the composition comprises about 94% 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl octadecanoate and about 6% sodium stearate and sodium palmitate in an approximate weight ratio of about 1:2 to about 2:1. In some embodiments, the composition further comprises citric acid, sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the molar ratio of citric acid to sodium bicarbonate is about 10:1 to about 1:2. In some embodiments, the molar ratio of citric acid to sodium carbonate is about 10:1 to about 1:2. In some embodiments, the weight percentage of citric acid in the composition is about 0.2% to about 2%. In some embodiments, the weight percentage of sodium bicarbonate in the composition is about 0.2% to about 2%. In some embodiments, the combined weight percentage of citric acid and sodium bicarbonate in the composition is about 0.2% to about 2%.

[0086] In some embodiments, the composition comprises a first compound of formula IA-Ai, a second compound of formula IA-Ai, and one compound of formula IIA. In some embodiments, the weight or molar ratio of both compounds of formula IA-Ai to the compound of formula IIA is about 30:1 to about 1:1. In some embodiments, the weight or molar ratio of one compound of formula IA-Ai to the other compound of formula IA-Ai is about 1:20 to about 20:1. In some embodiments, the composition comprises about 40% to about 100% by weight of both compounds of formula IA-Ai. In some embodiments, the composition comprises about 1% to about 50% by weight of the compound of formula IIA. In some embodiments, the composition comprises about 25% to about 75% of the first compound of formula IA-Ai, about 25% to about 75% of the second compound of formula IA-Ai, and about 1% to about 40% of the compound of formula IIA. In some embodiments, the composition comprises about 75% to about 99% of a first compound of formula IA-Ai, about 0.1% to about 20% of a second compound of formula IA-Ai, and about 1% to about 10% of a compound of formula IIA. A1 and R A2 is H;R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , and R 9 is independently selected from H and OH; R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B is H for each occurrence; and the sum of o and p is 11 to 13. In some embodiments, in the other compound of formula IA-Ai, R A1 and R A2 is H;R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , and R 9is independently selected from H and OH; R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B is H for each occurrence; and the sum of o and p is from 7 to 9. For example, one compound of formula IA-Ai is 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl octadecanoate and the other compound of formula IA-Ai is 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl dodecanoate. In some embodiments, in the compound of formula IIA, R A1 and R A2 is H;R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , and R 9 is independently selected from H and OH; R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11Bis H for each occurrence; and the sum of o and p is 11 to 13. For example, the compound of formula IIA is sodium stearate. In some embodiments, the composition comprises about 70% 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl octadecanoate and 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl dodecanoate in a 1:1 weight ratio, and about 30% sodium stearate. In some embodiments, the composition comprises about 94% 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl octadecanoate and 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl dodecanoate in a 1:1 weight ratio, and about 6% sodium stearate. In some embodiments, the composition comprises about 35:35:30 or about 47:47:6 weight ratio of 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl octadecanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl dodecanoate, and sodium stearate. In some embodiments, the composition further comprises citric acid, sodium bicarbonate, or both. In some embodiments, the molar ratio of citric acid to sodium bicarbonate is about 1:5 to about 1:1. In some embodiments, the weight percentage of citric acid in the composition is about 0.2% to about 2%. In some embodiments, the weight percentage of sodium bicarbonate in the composition is about 0.2% to about 2%. In some embodiments, the combined weight percentage of citric acid and sodium bicarbonate in the composition is about 0.2% to about 2%.

[0087] In some embodiments, the composition comprises a first compound of formula IA-Ai, a second compound of formula IA-Ai, a first compound of formula IIA, and a second compound of formula IIA. In some embodiments, the weight or molar ratio of both compounds of formula IA-Ai to both compounds of formula IIA is about 30:1 to about 1:1. In some embodiments, the weight or molar ratio of one compound of formula IA-Ai to the other compound of formula IA-Ai is about 1:20 to about 20:1. In some embodiments, the weight or molar ratio of one compound of formula IIA to the other compound of formula IIA is about 1:20 to about 20:1. In some embodiments, the composition comprises about 40% to about 100% by weight of both compounds of formula IA-Ai. In some embodiments, the composition comprises about 1% to about 50% by weight of both compounds of formula IIA. In some embodiments, the composition comprises about 25% to about 75% of a first compound of formula IA-Ai, about 25% to about 75% of a second compound of formula IA-Ai, about 1% to about 30% of a first compound of formula IIA, and about 1% to about 30% of a second compound of formula IIA. A1 and R A2 is H;R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , and R 9 is independently selected from H and OH; R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B is H for each occurrence; and the sum of o and p is 11 to 13. For example, one compound of formula IA-Ai is 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl octadecanoate and the other compound of formula IA-Ai is 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl palmitate. In some embodiments, in each compound of formula IIA, R A1 and R A2 is H;R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , and R 9 is independently selected from H and OH; R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B is H for each occurrence; and the sum of o and p is 11 to 13. In some embodiments, the sum of o and p in one compound of formula IIA is 13, and the sum of o and p in the other compound of formula IIA is 11. For example, one compound of formula IIA is sodium stearate and the other compound of formula IIA is sodium palmitate. In some embodiments, the composition comprises about 70% 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl octadecanoate and 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl palmitate in a weight ratio of about 1:1, and about 30% sodium stearate and sodium palmitate in a weight ratio of about 1:1. In some embodiments, the composition comprises about 94% 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl octadecanoate and 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl palmitate in a weight ratio of about 1:1, and about 6% sodium stearate and sodium palmitate in a weight ratio of about 1:1. In some embodiments, the composition comprises 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl octadecanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl palmitate, sodium stearate, and sodium palmitate in a weight ratio of about 35:35:15:15 or about 47:47:3:3. In some embodiments, the composition further comprises citric acid, sodium bicarbonate, or both. In some embodiments, the molar ratio of citric acid to sodium bicarbonate is about 1:5 to about 1:1. In some embodiments, the weight percentage of citric acid in the composition is about 0.2% to about 2%. In some embodiments, the weight percentage of sodium bicarbonate in the composition is about 0.2% to about 2%. In some embodiments, the combined weight percentage of citric acid and sodium bicarbonate in the composition is about 0.2% to about 2%.

[0088] In some embodiments, less than 10% by weight of the composition is a diglyceride.In some embodiments, less than 10% by weight of the composition is a triglyceride.In some embodiments, the composition does not include acetylated monoglycerides (e.g., monoglycerides in which the hydroxyl group of the glyceryl moiety is acetylated).

[0089] In some embodiments, the composition can be dissolved, mixed, dispersed, or suspended in a solvent to form a mixture (e.g., a solution, a suspension, or a colloid). Examples of solvents that can be used include water, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, butanol, acetone, ethyl acetate, chloroform, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, diethyl ether, methyl tert-butyl ether, or combinations thereof. For example, the solvent is water.

[0090] The concentration of the composition in a solution or mixture (eg, a solution, suspension, or colloid) is from about 1 mg / mL to about 200 mg / mL.

[0091] To improve the solubility of the coating agent in the solvent or to suspend or disperse the coating agent in the solvent, the coating agent may further include an emulsifier, as described below. When forming a coating to be applied to plants or other edible products, it may be preferable that the emulsifier is safe to eat. Furthermore, it may also be preferable that the emulsifier is not incorporated into the coating, or if an emulsifier is incorporated into the coating, that it does not degrade the performance of the coating.

[0092] Additionally, organic salts, such as fatty acid salts as described herein, can increase the solubility of the coating agent or allow the coating agent to be suspended or dispersed in solvents with significant water content (e.g., solvents that are at least 50% water by volume), provided that the concentration of the salt is not too low compared to the fatty acid and / or its ester.

[0093] The coating solution / suspension / colloid may further include a wetting agent which serves to reduce the contact angle (e.g., the angle of the outer surface of a droplet of liquid measured where the air-liquid interface meets the solid-liquid interface) between the solution / suspension / colloid and the surface of the substrate being coated. The wetting agent may be included as a component of the coating agent and therefore may be added to the solvent at the same time as the other components of the coating agent. Alternatively, the wetting agent may be separate from the coating agent and added to the solvent either before, after, or at the same time as the coating agent. Alternatively, the wetting agent may be separate from the coating agent and applied to the surface before the coating agent to prime the surface.

[0094] The humectant may be a fatty acid or its salt or ester, such as a compound of formula I, formula II, and all sub-formulas described herein. In particular, the humectant compounds may each have a carbon chain length of 13 or less. The humectant may also or alternatively be one or more of a phospholipid, a lysophospholipid, a glyceroglycolipid, a glycolipid, a fatty acid ascorbyl ester, a lactate ester, a tartarate ester, a malate ester, a fumarate ester, a succinate ester, a citrate ester, a pantothenate ester, or a fatty alcohol derivative (e.g., an alkyl sulfate). In some embodiments, the humectant included in the mixture herein is edible and / or safe to eat.

[0095] In some embodiments, a compound used as a wetting agent can also (or instead of) be used as an emulsifier. For example, in some embodiments, a medium chain fatty acid (e.g., having a carbon chain length of 7-13) or a salt or ester thereof is used in the composition as an emulsifier (and optionally also functions as a wetting agent), thereby allowing the composition to be dissolved or suspended in a solvent. In some embodiments, the emulsifier is cationic. In some embodiments, the emulsifier is anionic, zwitterionic, or uncharged.

[0096] In some embodiments, the composition includes one or more (e.g., one, two, or three) wetting agents, surfactants, and / or emulsifiers. In some embodiments, the one or more wetting agents, surfactants, and / or emulsifiers are sodium bicarbonate, citric acid, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, sodium lauryl sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, sodium myreth sulfate, docusate, sodium dodecyl sulfate, sodium stearate, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, alkyl-aryl ether phosphates, alkyl ether phosphates, 2-[4-(2,4,4-trimethylpentan-2-yl)phenoxy]ethanol (Triton X-100), 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonic acid (CHAPS), cholic acid, nonylphenoxypolyethoxylethanol (NP-40), octylthioglucoside, octylglucoside, dodecylmaltoside, octenidine dihydrochloride, cetrimonium bromide (CTAB), cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), benzalkonium chloride (BAC), benzethonium chloride (BZT), dimethyldioctadecylammonium chloride, and dioctadecyldimethylammonium bromide (DODAB), cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, cocamidopropyl betaine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylcholine ... Lysophosphatidylserine, Lysophosphatidylethanolamine, Lysophosphatidylcholine, Lysophosphatidylinositol, Lysophosphatidic acid, Sphingomyelins, Lauryldimethylamine oxide, Myristamine oxide, Octaethylene glycol monododecyl ether, Pentaethylene glycol monododecyl ether, Polyethoxylated tallowamine, Cocamide monoethanolamine, Cocamide diethanolamine, Poloxamer, Fatty acid esters of polyhydroxy compounds, Fatty acid esters of glycerol, Glycerol monostearate, Glycerol monolaurate, Sorbitol fatty acid esters, Sorbitan monolaurate, Sorbitan monostearate, Sorbitan tristearate, Tween 20, Tween 40, Tween 60, Tween80, sucrose fatty acid ester, alkyl polyglucosides, alkyl polyglycosides, decyl glucoside, lauryl glucoside, octyl glucoside, sucrose fatty acid ester, sucrose monostearate, sucrose distearate, sucrose tristearate, sucrose polystearate, sucrose monopalmitate, sucrose dipalmate, sucrose tripalmitate, sucrose polypalmate, sucrose monomyristate, sucrose dimyristate, sucrose trimyrstate, sucrose polymyristate, sucrose monolaurate, sucrose dilaurate, sucrose trilaurate, sucrose polylaurate, polysiloxane polyether copolymer (e.g., from Hi-Wet), polyethylene glycol, alcohol polyethylene glycol, or polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene copolymer. In some embodiments, one or more wetting agents, surfactants, and / or emulsifiers may include microbially derived components or materials. For example, one or more wetting agents, surfactants, and / or emulsifiers include sodium lauryl sulfate.

[0097] In some embodiments, the composition includes an electrolyte concentration adjusting component (eg, sodium bicarbonate), a cosurfactant (eg, citric acid), or both.

[0098] In some embodiments, the mixture or composition comprises from about 0.1% to about 40% by weight of one or more wetting agents, surfactants, and / or emulsifiers.

[0099] In some embodiments, the mixture or composition includes one or more (e.g., one, two, or three) preservatives. In some embodiments, the one or more preservatives include one or more antioxidants, one or more antimicrobial agents, one or more chelating agents, or any combination thereof. Exemplary preservatives include, but are not limited to, vitamin E, vitamin C, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), sodium benzoate, disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA), citric acid, benzyl alcohol, benzalkonium chloride, butylparaben, chlorobutanol, metacresol, chlorocresol, methylparaben, phenylethyl alcohol, propylparaben, phenol, benzoic acid, sorbic acid, methylparaben, propylparaben, bronidol, propylene glycol, and siderophores.

[0100] In some embodiments, the mixture or composition comprises from about 0.1% to about 40% by weight of one or more preservatives.

[0101] Any of the compositions described herein can further include additional materials, which are either transported to the surface along with the coating as well, or deposited separately and then encapsulated by the coating (e.g., the coating is formed to at least partially surround the additional material), or deposited separately and then supported by the coating (e.g., the additional material is tethered to the outer surface of the coating). Examples of such additional materials can include cells, biological signaling molecules, vitamins, minerals, dyes, aromas, enzymes, catalysts, antimicrobials, time-release drugs, and / or additional antimicrobial agents or microorganisms. The additional materials can be non-reactive with the surface and / or coating of the coated product, or alternatively, can be reactive with the surface and / or coating.

[0102] In some embodiments, the coating may include additives configured to, for example, improve the viscosity, vapor pressure, surface tension, or solubility of the coating. The additives may be configured, for example, to increase the chemical stability of the coating. For example, the additives may be antioxidants configured to inhibit oxidation of the coating. In some embodiments, the additives may reduce or increase the melting temperature or glass transition temperature of the coating. In some embodiments, the additives may be configured to reduce the rate of diffusion of water vapor, oxygen, CO2, or ethylene out of the coating, for example to protect agricultural produce, or to allow the coating to absorb more ultraviolet (UV) light. In some embodiments, the additives may be configured to provide an intentional odor, for example, a flavoring (e.g., floral, fruity, botanical, cool, incense, etc.). In some embodiments, the coating may include ingredients that are non-toxic and safe for human and / or animal consumption. For example, the coating may include ingredients that are US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved direct or indirect food additives, FDA approved food contact substances, meet FDA regulatory requirements for use as food additives or food contact substances, and / or are FDA Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) materials. Examples of such materials can be found on the World Wide Web at "accessdata.fda.gov / scripts / cdrh / cfdocs / cfcfr / cfrsearch.cfm," all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety, in Chapter 21 of the FDA Code of Federal Regulations. In some embodiments, the coating ingredients may include dietary supplements or dietary supplement ingredients. The coating ingredients may also include FDA approved food additives or color additives. In some embodiments, the coating may include naturally occurring ingredients as described herein.In some embodiments, the coating may be unscented or have a high odor threshold below 500 ppm, odorless or have a high odor threshold, and / or be substantially transparent. In some embodiments, the coating may be selected or configured to be washed off, for example, with water, from edible agricultural produce. In some embodiments, the coating may include FDA approved drug substances, such as any substances included in the FDA's Approved Drug Database, which can be found on the World Wide Web at "accessdata.fda.gov / scripts / cder / drugsatfda / index.cfm," the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. In some embodiments, the coating may include materials that meet the FDA's requirements for use in drugs or are listed in the FDA's National Drug Discovery Code Directory, which can be found on the World Wide Web at "accessdata.fda.gov / scripts / cder / ndc / default.cfm," the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. In some embodiments, the materials may include inactive drug substances of approved drug products as listed in the FDA's database on the World Wide Web at "accessdata.fda.gov / scripts / cder / ndc / default.cfm," the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.

[0103] Any of the coating agents described herein or coatings formed therewith may be unscented or have a high odor threshold, for example, above 500 ppm, and may be odorless or have a high odor threshold. In some embodiments, the materials included in any of the coatings described herein may be substantially transparent. For example, the coating agents, solvents, and / or any other additives included in the coating may be selected so that they have substantially the same or similar refractive index. Matching the refractive index may make them optically matched, reducing light scattering and improving light transmission. For example, materials with similar refractive indexes and clear transparency properties may be utilized to form coatings that exhibit the characteristics of being substantially transparent.

[0104] It may be desirable for the coating to be undetectable to the human eye and / or not cause any detectable change in the physical appearance of the coated agricultural produce. For example, a coating that upon formation precipitates or crystallizes or otherwise leaves a residue on the surface of the coated agricultural produce may cause the coated agricultural produce to appear dirty or damaged. This may result in a less desirable appearance to the consumer when compared to a similar uncoated product. As such, it is often further desirable for the coating to also not leave a visible residue and / or not alter the physical appearance, including odor, of the coated produce.

[0105] In some embodiments, the coating may include additives configured to, for example, improve the viscosity, vapor pressure, surface tension, or solubility of the coating. In some embodiments, the additives may be configured to increase the chemical stability of the coating. For example, the additives may be antioxidants configured to inhibit oxidation of the coating. In some embodiments, the additives may be added to reduce or increase the melting temperature or glass transition temperature of the coating. In some embodiments, the additives may be configured to reduce the rate of diffusion of water vapor, oxygen, CO2, or ethylene out of the coating, for example to protect agricultural produce (e.g., any of the produce described herein), or to allow the coating to absorb more ultraviolet (UV) light. In some embodiments, the additives may be configured to provide an intended odor, such as a flavor (e.g., floral, fruity, botanical, refreshing, incense, etc.). In some embodiments, the additives may be configured to provide color, and may include, for example, a dye or a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved color additive. In some embodiments, additives can include sweeteners, color additives, flavors, spices, flavor enhancers, fat substitutes and ingredients of formulations used to replace fats, nutrients, emulsifiers, bulking agents, detergents, stabilizers, emulsion stabilizers, thickeners, flavors or fragrances, flavors or fragrance ingredients, binders, texture modifiers, humectants, pH adjusters, acidulants, leavening agents, anti-caking agents, anti-fungal agents, anti-bacterial agents, antioxidants, and / or UV filters. In some embodiments, the coating can include a photoinitiator, which can initiate crosslinking of the coating upon exposure to a suitable light source, for example, ultraviolet light.

[0106] In some embodiments, the composition further comprises one or more additives. For example, the additives can include water, stabilizers, buffers, essential oils, preservatives, vitamins, minerals, dyes, aromas, enzymes, catalysts, antioxidants, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the one or more additives modify the taste, appearance, texture, aroma, or durability of the composition.

[0107] In some embodiments, the stabilizer is alginic acid, agar, carrageenan, gelatin, pectin, or a combination thereof.

[0108] In some embodiments, the buffer is citrate, phosphate, tartrate, or a combination thereof.

[0109] In some embodiments, the essential oil is African basil oil, ajowan oil, cinnamon oil, clove oil, coriander oil, cumin oil, garlic oil, kaffir lime oil, lime oil, lemongrass oil, mustard oil, menthol oil, oregano oil, rosemary oil, savory oil, Spanish oregano oil, thyme oil, anise oil, ginger oil, bay leaf oil, sage oil, bergamot oil, eucalyptus oil, melaleuca oil, peppermint oil, spearmint oil, wintergreen oil, cannabis oil, marjoram oil, orange oil, rose oil, oils derived from other plants, or combinations thereof.

[0110] In some embodiments, the preservative is a nitrous acid derivative or a salt thereof, a sulfurous acid derivative or a salt thereof, a benzoic acid derivative or a salt thereof, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the preservative is butylated hydroxyanisole, butylated hydroxytoluene, or a combination thereof.

[0111] In some embodiments, the vitamin is vitamin A or a derivative thereof, vitamin B or a derivative thereof, vitamin C or a derivative thereof, vitamin D or a derivative thereof, vitamin E or a derivative thereof, or a combination thereof.

[0112] In some embodiments, the mineral is a macromineral, a trace mineral, or a combination thereof, hi some embodiments, the mineral is iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride, selenium, or a combination thereof.

[0113] In some embodiments, the dye is Blue No. 1, Blue No. 2, Green No. 3, Red No. 3, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Citrus Red No. 2, their corresponding aluminum lakes, or combinations thereof.

[0114] In some embodiments, the enzyme is a preparative enzyme such as a decarboxylase, aminopeptidase, amylase, asparaginase, carboxypeptidase, catalase, cellulase, chymosin, cyprocin, ficin, glucanase, isomerase, glutaminase, invertase, lactase, lipase, lyase, lysozyme, mannanase, oxidase, pectinase, peptidase, peroxidase, phospholipase, protease, trypsin, urease, chitinase, or a combination thereof.

[0115] In some embodiments, the antioxidant is an antioxidant vitamin, a tocopherol, a gallate or derivative thereof, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the antioxidant is 4-hexylresorcinol, ascorbic acid or a fatty acid ester thereof, sodium ascorbate, calcium ascorbate, citric acid, erythorbic acid, sodium erythorbate, tertiary butylhydroquinone, butylated hydroxyanisole, butylated hydroxytoluene, or a combination thereof.

[0116] In some embodiments, the coating is tasteless, colorless, and / or odorless. In some embodiments, the coating may be odorless or have a high odor threshold below 500 ppm, odorless or have a high odor threshold, and / or is substantially clear.

[0117] In some embodiments, the coating is made from the same chemical ingredients found in nature in plant cuticles (e.g., hydroxy and / or dihydroxy palmitic acid, and / or hydroxy or epoxy oleic and stearic acids), and thus may be an organic, natural product.

[0118] fatty acid derivatives In some embodiments, the one or more fatty acids, fatty acid esters, or combinations thereof include one monoglyceride (e.g., a 1-monoglyceride or a 2-monoglyceride). In some embodiments, the one or more fatty acids, fatty acid esters, or combinations thereof include two monoglycerides (e.g., two 1-monoglycerides, two 2-monoglycerides, or one 1-monoglyceride and one 2-monoglyceride).

[0119] In some embodiments, the composition comprises about 40% to about 100% by weight of one or more fatty acids, fatty acid esters, or combinations thereof, for example, the composition comprises about 40% to 50%, 50% to 60%, 60% to 70%, 70% to 80%, 80% to 90%, 90% to 100%, or 65% to 99% by weight of one or more fatty acids, fatty acid esters, or combinations thereof.

[0120] In some embodiments, the composition comprises from about 1% to about 50% by weight of one or more fatty acid salts. In some embodiments, when the composition comprises two fatty acid salts, the molar or weight ratio of the two fatty acid salts is from about 1:20 to about 20:1.

[0121] In some embodiments, the composition comprises about 70% to about 99% by weight of one or more fatty acids, fatty acid esters, or combinations thereof (e.g., one or two); and about 1% to about 30% by weight of one or more fatty acid salts (e.g., one or two). In some embodiments, the composition comprises one or more fatty acid esters (e.g., one or two) and one or more fatty acid salts (e.g., one or two) in a weight ratio of about 70:30 to about 94:6 (e.g., 70:30 or 94:6).

[0122] In some embodiments, the composition comprises from about 60% to about 99.99% by weight of one or more fatty acids, fatty acid esters, or combinations thereof (e.g., one or two); and from about 0.01% to about 40% by weight of one or more fatty acid salts (e.g., one or two). In some embodiments, the composition comprises one or more fatty acid esters (e.g., one or two) and one or more fatty acid salts (e.g., one or two) in a weight ratio of from about 60:40 to about 99.99:0.01 (e.g., about 70:30 or about 94:6).

[0123] In some embodiments, each fatty acid and / or ester thereof is an independently selected compound of formula IA: [ka] (In the formula, R is selected from H and C1-C6 alkyl optionally substituted with one or more of OH and C1-C6 alkoxy; R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , and R 9 is independently selected from H, OH, C1-C6 alkyl, C2-C6 alkenyl, and C1-C6 alkoxy; R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B each occurrence is independently selected from H, OH, C1-C6 alkyl, C2-C6 alkenyl, and C1-C6 alkoxy; or any two R on adjacent carbon atoms 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R9 , R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B together with the carbon atom to which they are attached form a double bond, a 3- to 6-membered heterocycle, or a C3-C6 cycloalkyl; and o is an integer from 0 to 17; p is an integer from 0 to 17; where the sum of o and p is 0 to 17); or a salt thereof when R is C1-C6 alkyl optionally substituted with one or more of OH and C1-C6 alkoxy.

[0124] In some embodiments, R is H.

[0125] In some embodiments, R is C1-C6 alkyl optionally substituted with one or more OH or C1-C6 alkoxy. In some embodiments, R is C1-C6 alkyl optionally substituted with one or more OH. In some embodiments, R is C1-C6 alkyl optionally substituted with two OH. In some embodiments, R is C1-C3 alkyl optionally substituted with one or more OH. In some embodiments, R is C1-C3 alkyl optionally substituted with two OH. In some embodiments, R is propyl optionally substituted with one or more OH. In some embodiments, R is propyl optionally substituted with two OH. In some embodiments, R is 1,3-dihydroxy-2-propyl. In some embodiments, R is 1,2-dihydroxy-1-propyl.

[0126] In some embodiments, R is C1-C6 alkyl optionally substituted with one or more C1-C6 alkoxy. In some embodiments, R is C1-C6 alkyl optionally substituted with two C1-C6 alkoxy. In some embodiments, R is C1-C3 alkyl optionally substituted with one or more C1-C6 alkoxy. In some embodiments, R is C1-C3 alkyl optionally substituted with two C1-C6 alkoxy.

[0127] In some embodiments, the compound of formula IA is a compound of formula IA-A: [ka] or a salt thereof, (In the formula, R B1 and R B2 One of them is H and R B1 and R B2 The other is -CH2OR A and; R A is independently selected from H and C1-C6 alkyl; R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , and R 9 is independently selected from H, OH, C1-C6 alkyl, C2-C6 alkenyl, and C1-C6 alkoxy; R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B each occurrence is independently selected from H, OH, C1-C6 alkyl, C2-C6 alkenyl, and C1-C6 alkoxy; or any two R on adjacent carbon atoms 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B together with the carbon atom to which they are attached form a double bond, a 3- to 6-membered heterocycle, or a C3-C6 cycloalkyl; o is an integer from 0 to 17; p is an integer from 0 to 17; and Here, the sum of o and p is 0 to 17.

[0128] In some embodiments, R B1 is H, and R B2 HA-CH2OR A It is.

[0129] In some embodiments, R B1 HA-CH2OR A and R B2 is H.

[0130] In some embodiments, each R A is H. In some embodiments, one R A is H, and the other R A is C1-C6 alkyl. In some embodiments, each R A is C1-C6 alkyl. In some embodiments, each R A is C1-C6 alkyl.

[0131] In some embodiments, the compound of formula IA-A is a compound of formula IA-Ai: [ka] or a salt thereof, (In the formula, R A1 and R A2 are independently selected from H and C1-C6 alkyl; R 1 , R2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , and R 9 is independently selected from H, OH, C1-C6 alkyl, C2-C6 alkenyl, and C1-C6 alkoxy; R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B each occurrence is independently selected from H, OH, C1-C6 alkyl, C2-C6 alkenyl, and C1-C6 alkoxy; or any two R on adjacent carbon atoms 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B together with the carbon atom to which they are attached form a double bond, a 3- to 6-membered heterocycle, or a C3-C6 cycloalkyl; o is an integer from 0 to 17; p is an integer from 0 to 17; and Here, the sum of o and p is 0 to 17.

[0132] In some embodiments, R A1 is H, and R A2 is C1-C6 alkyl. In some embodiments, R A1 is C1-C6 alkyl, and R A2 is H. In some embodiments, R A1 and R A2 is H.

[0133] In some embodiments, the compound of formula IA-A is a compound of formula IA-A-ii: [ka] or a salt thereof, (In the formula, R A1 and R A3 are independently selected from H and C1-C6 alkyl; R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , and R 9 is independently selected from H, OH, C1-C6 alkyl, C2-C6 alkenyl, and C1-C6 alkoxy; R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B each occurrence is independently selected from H, OH, C1-C6 alkyl, C2-C6 alkenyl, and C1-C6 alkoxy; or any two R on adjacent carbon atoms 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B together with the carbon atom to which they are attached form a double bond, a 3- to 6-membered heterocycle, or a C3-C6 cycloalkyl; o is an integer from 0 to 17; p is an integer from 0 to 17; and Here, the sum of o and p is 0 to 17.

[0134] In some embodiments, R A1 is H, and R A3 is C1-C6 alkyl. In some embodiments, R A1 is C1-C6 alkyl, and RA3 is H. In some embodiments, R A1 and R A3 is H.

[0135] In some embodiments, the compound of formula IA is a compound of formula IA-B: [ka] (In the formula, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , and R 9 is independently selected from H, OH, C1-C6 alkyl, C2-C6 alkenyl, and C1-C6 alkoxy; R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B each occurrence is independently selected from H, OH, C1-C6 alkyl, C2-C6 alkenyl, and C1-C6 alkoxy; or any two R on adjacent carbon atoms 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B together with the carbon atom to which they are attached form a double bond, a 3- to 6-membered heterocycle, or a C3-C6 cycloalkyl; o is an integer from 0 to 17; p is an integer from 0 to 17; and Here, the sum of o and p is 0 to 17.

[0136] In some embodiments, the compound of formula (IA) is14 ~C 22 Monoacylglycerols include, for example, glyceryl laurate, glyceryl monostearate, glyceryl palmitate, glyceryl monooleate, and glyceryl hydroxystearate. In some embodiments, the compound of formula (IA) is glyceryl monostearate.

[0137] In some embodiments, each fatty acid salt is an independently selected compound of formula II: [ka] (In the formula, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , and R 9 is independently selected from H, OH, C1-C6 alkyl, C2-C6 alkenyl, and C1-C6 alkoxy; R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B each occurrence is independently selected from H, OH, C1-C6 alkyl, C2-C6 alkenyl, and C1-C6 alkoxy; or any two R on adjacent carbon atoms 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B together with the carbon atom to which they are attached form a double bond, a 3- to 6-membered heterocycle, or a C3-C6 cycloalkyl; o is an integer from 0 to 17; p is an integer from 0 to 17; where the sum of o and p is 0 to 17; X n+ is a cationic moiety having a formal charge n; and R', at each occurrence, is selected from H and C1-C6 alkyl.

[0138] In some embodiments, X n+ is Na + , K + , Ag + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Zn 2+ , Cu 2+ and (R')N + is selected from.

[0139] In some embodiments, each R' is an independently selected C1-C6 alkyl. In some embodiments, one R' is H and the other three R' are independently selected C1-C6 alkyl. In some embodiments, two R' are H and the other two R' are independently selected C1-C6 alkyl. In some embodiments, three R' are H and the other R' is C1-C6 alkyl. In some embodiments, each R' is H. In some embodiments, each R' is benzyltrimethylammonium. In some embodiments, at least one R' is a cyclic amine (e.g., a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic amine, including heteroalkyl amines and heteroaromatic amines). Examples include morpholine, pyridine, aziridine, and piperidine.

[0140] In some embodiments, X n+ is Na + , K + , Ag + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , and Zn 2+ In some embodiments, X n+ is Na + , K + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , and Zn2+ In some embodiments, X n+ is Na + In some embodiments, X n+ is K + In some embodiments, X n+ Ca 2+ In some embodiments, X n+ is Mg 2+ In some embodiments, X n+ Zn 2+ It is.

[0141] In some embodiments, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , and R 9 is independently selected from H, OH, C1-C6 alkyl, and C1-C6 alkoxy. 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , and R 9 is independently selected from H, OH, and C1-C6 alkyl. 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , and R 9 is independently selected from H and OH. In some embodiments, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , and R 9 are each H. In some embodiments, R1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , and R 9 One of them is OH and the remaining R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , and R 9 are each H. In some embodiments, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , and R 9 Two of them are OH and the remaining R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , and R 9 are each H.

[0142] In some embodiments, R 4 is OH. In some embodiments, R 5 is OH. In some embodiments, R 6 is OH. In some embodiments, R 7 is OH.

[0143] In some embodiments, R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B Each occurrence is independently selected from H, OH, C1-C6 alkyl, and C1-C6 alkoxy. 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R11B Each occurrence is independently selected from H, OH, and C1-C6 alkyl. 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B Each occurrence is independently selected from H and OH. 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B Each occurrence of R is H. 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B One of the R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B Each occurrence of R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B Two of the are OH, and the remaining R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B are each H.

[0144] In some embodiments, any two R on adjacent carbon atoms 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B together with the carbon atoms to which they are attached form a double bond. In some embodiments, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R8 , R 9 , R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B Any two pairs of R on adjacent carbon atoms each form two double bonds together with the carbon atom to which they are attached. 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B together with the carbon atoms to which they are attached form a 3- to 6-membered heterocycle. In some embodiments, any two R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B form a double bond together with the carbon atom to which they are attached, and any two remaining R on adjacent carbon atoms 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B together with the carbon atom to which they are attached form a 3-6 membered heterocycle. In some embodiments, the 3-6 membered heterocycle is oxiranyl.

[0145] In some embodiments, R4 is R 6 and together with the carbon atom to which they are attached form a double bond. 4 is R 6 and together with the carbon atom to which they are attached form a 3- to 6-membered heterocycle.

[0146] In some embodiments, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , and R for each 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B one of R is OH; and the remaining R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , and R for each 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B are each H.

[0147] In some embodiments, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , and R for each 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B one of R on adjacent carbon atoms is OH; 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B together with the carbon atom to which they are attached form a double bond; and the remaining R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , and R for each 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B are each H.

[0148] In some embodiments, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , and R for each 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B one of R on adjacent carbon atoms is OH; 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B together with the carbon atom to which they are attached form a double bond; and the remaining R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R8 , R 9 , and R for each 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B are each H.

[0149] In some embodiments, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , and R for each 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B one of R on adjacent carbon atoms is OH; 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B together with the carbon atom to which they are attached form an oxiranyl; and the remaining R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , and R for each 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B are each H.

[0150] In some embodiments, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R8 , R 9 , and R for each 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B each is H; and any two R on adjacent carbon atoms 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B together with the carbon atom to which they are attached to form an oxiranyl.

[0151] In some embodiments, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , and R for each 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B each is H; and any two R on adjacent carbon atoms 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10A , R 10B , R 11A , and R 11B together with the carbon atom to which they are attached form a double bond.

[0152] In some embodiments, the sum of o and p is 0 to 13. In some embodiments, the sum of o and p is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that compounds of formula IA-A, where the sum of o and p is 0 to 9, when included in the compositions (e.g., mixtures, coatings, and coatings) described herein, can function as wetting agents, thus increasing the ability of the compositions (e.g., mixtures, coatings, and coatings) to spread over the surface of an agricultural produce or plant and form a coating of substantially uniform thickness.

[0153] In some embodiments, the compound of formula IA is heptanoic acid, octanoic acid, nonanoic acid, decanoic acid, undecanoic acid, dodecanoic acid, tridecanoic acid, tetradecanoic acid, pentadecanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid, heptadecanoic acid, octadecanoic acid, nonadecanoic acid, eicosanoic acid, heneicosanoic acid or docosanoic acid, 9-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid, 10-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid, 9,10-dihydroxyhexadecanoic acid, ... Dihexadecanoic acid, 16-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid, 9,16-dihydroxyhexadecanoic acid, 10,16-dihydroxyhexadecanoic acid, 9,10,16-trihydroxyhexadecanoic acid, 9,10-epoxyhexadecanoic acid, (9Z)-hexadec-9-enoic acid, (9E)-hexadec-9-enoic acid, 9,10-epoxy-16-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid, 16-hydroxy-(9 Z)-Hexadec-9-enoic acid, 16-hydroxy-(9E)-hexadec-9-enoic acid, 9-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid, 10-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid, 9,10-dihydroxyoctadecanoic acid, 18-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid, 9,18-dihydroxyoctadecanoic acid, 10,18-dihydroxyoctadecanoic acid, 9,10,18-trihydroxyoctadecanoic acid, 9,10-E The hydroxyoctadecanoic acid is selected from 18-hydroxy-9,10-dihydroxyoctadecanoic acid, 18-hydroxy-(9Z)-octadec-9-enoic acid, 18-hydroxy-(9E)-octadec-9-enoic acid, (13Z)-docosa-13-enoic acid, (13E)-docosa-13-enoic acid, and any salt thereof.

[0154] In some embodiments, the compound of formula IIA is methyl heptanoate, methyl octanoate, methyl nonanoate, methyl decanoate, methyl undecanoate, methyl dodecanoate, methyl tridecanoic, methyl tetradecanoate, methyl pentadecanoate, methyl hexadecanoate, methyl heptadecanoate, methyl octadecanoate, methyl nonadecanoate, methyl eicosanoate, methyl heneicosanoate or methyl docosanoate, methyl 9-hydroxyhexadecanoate, methyl 10-hydroxyhexadecanoate, methyl 9,10-dihydroxyhexadecanoate, methyl 16-hydroxyhexadecanoate, methyl 9, Methyl 16-dihydroxyhexadecanoate, Methyl 10,16-dihydroxyhexadecanoate, Methyl 9,10,16-trihydroxyhexadecanoate, Methyl 9,10-epoxyhexadecanoate, Methyl (9Z)-hexadec-9-enoate, Methyl (9E)-hexadec-9-enoate, Methyl 9,10-epoxy-16-hydroxyhexadecanoate, Methyl 16-hydroxy-(9Z)-hexadec-9-enoate, 1 Methyl 6-hydroxy-(9E)-hexadec-9-enoate, Methyl 9-hydroxyoctadecanoate, Methyl 10-hydroxyoctadecanoate, Methyl 9,10-dihydroxyoctadecanoate, Methyl 18-hydroxyoctadecanoate, Methyl 9,18-dihydroxyoctadecanoate, Methyl 10,18-dihydroxyoctadecanoate, Methyl 9,10,18-trihydroxyoctadecanoate, Methyl 9,10-epoxyoctadecanoate methyl octadecanoate, methyl (9Z)-octadec-9-enoate, methyl (9E)-octadec-9-enoate, methyl 18-hydroxy-9,10-dihydroxyoctadecanoate, methyl 18-hydroxy-(9Z)-octadec-9-enoate, methyl 18-hydroxy-(9E)-octadec-9-enoate, methyl (13Z)-docosa-13-enoate, and methyl (13E)-docosa-13-enoate.

[0155] In some embodiments, the compound of formula IIA is ethyl heptanoate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl nonanoate, ethyl decanoate, ethyl undecanoate, ethyl dodecanoate, ethyl tridecanoic, ethyl tetradecanoate, ethyl pentadecanoate, ethyl hexadecanoate, ethyl heptadecanoate, ethyl octadecanoate, ethyl nonadecanoate, ethyl eicosanoate, ethyl heneicosanoate or ethyl docosanoate, ethyl 9-hydroxyhexadecanoate, ethyl 10-hydroxyhexadecanoate, ethyl 9,10-dihydroxyhexadecanoate, ethyl 16-hydroxyhexadecanoate, ethyl 9, Ethyl 16-dihydroxyhexadecanoate, Ethyl 10,16-dihydroxyhexadecanoate, Ethyl 9,10,16-trihydroxyhexadecanoate, Ethyl 9,10-epoxyhexadecanoate, Ethyl (9Z)-hexadec-9-enoate, Ethyl (9E)-hexadec-9-enoate, Ethyl 9,10-epoxy-16-hydroxyhexadecanoate, Ethyl 16-hydroxy-(9Z)-hexadec-9-enoate, 1 Ethyl 6-hydroxy-(9E)-hexadec-9-enoate, Ethyl 9-hydroxyoctadecanoate, Ethyl 10-hydroxyoctadecanoate, Ethyl 9,10-dihydroxyoctadecanoate, Ethyl 18-hydroxyoctadecanoate, Ethyl 9,18-dihydroxyoctadecanoate, Ethyl 10,18-dihydroxyoctadecanoate, Ethyl 9,10,18-trihydroxyoctadecanoate, Ethyl 9,10-epoxyoctadecanoate The ethyl octadecanoate is selected from ethyl (9Z)-octadec-9-enoate, ethyl (9E)-octadec-9-enoate, ethyl 18-hydroxy-9,10-dihydroxyoctadecanoate, ethyl 18-hydroxy-(9Z)-octadec-9-enoate, ethyl 18-hydroxy-(9E)-octadec-9-enoate, ethyl (13Z)-docosa-13-enoate, and ethyl (13E)-docosa-13-enoate.

[0156] In some embodiments, the compound of formula IIA is 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl heptanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl octanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl nonanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl decanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl undecanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl dodecanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl tridecanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl tetradecanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl pentadecanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl tetra ... 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl hexadecanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl heptadecanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl octadecanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl nonadecanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl eicosanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl heneicosanoate or docosanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl 9-hydroxyhexadecanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl 10-hydroxyhexadecanoate, 9,10-dihydroxy 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl 16-hydroxyhexadecanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl 9,16-dihydroxyhexadecanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl 10,16-dihydroxyhexadecanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl 9,10,16-trihydroxyhexadecanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl 9,10-epoxyhexadecanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl (9Z)-hexadec-9-enoate 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl, (9E)-hexadec-9-enoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl, 9,10-epoxy-16-hydroxyhexadecanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl, 16-hydroxy-(9Z)-hexadec-9-enoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl, 16-hydroxy-(9E)-hexadec-9-enoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl, 9-hydroxyoctadecanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl, 10-hydroxyoctadecanoate, 9,2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl 10-dihydroxyoctadecanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl 18-hydroxyoctadecanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl 9,18-dihydroxyoctadecanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl 10,18-dihydroxyoctadecanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl 9,10,18-trihydroxyoctadecanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl 9,10-epoxyoctadecanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl (9Z)-octadec-9-enoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl (9E)-octadec-9-enoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl 18-hydroxy-9,10-dihydroxyoctadecanoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl 18-hydroxy-(9Z)-octadec-9-enoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl 18-hydroxy-(9E)-octadec-9-enoate, 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl (13Z)-docos-13-enoate, and 2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-yl (13E)-docos-13-enoate.

[0157] In some embodiments, the compound of formula IIA is 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl heptanoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl octanoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl nonanoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl decanoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl undecanoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl dodecanoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl tridecanoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl tetradecanoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl penta ... tetradecanoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl tetradecanoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl tetradecanoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl tetradecanoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl, hexadecanoic acid, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl, heptadecanoic acid, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl, octadecanoic acid, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl, nonadecanoic acid, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl, eicosanoic acid, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl, heneicosanoic acid or docosanoic acid, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl, 9-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl, 10-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid, 9,10-dihydroxypropan-2-yl 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl 16-hydroxyhexadecanoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl 9,16-dihydroxyhexadecanoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl 10,16-dihydroxyhexadecanoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl 9,10,16-trihydroxyhexadecanoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl 9,10-epoxyhexadecanoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl (9Z)-hexadec-9-enoate 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl, (9E)-hexadec-9-enoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl 9,10-epoxy-16-hydroxyhexadecanoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl 16-hydroxy-(9Z)-hexadec-9-enoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl 16-hydroxy-(9E)-hexadec-9-enoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl 9-hydroxyoctadecanoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl 10-hydroxyoctadecanoate, 9,1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl 10-dihydroxyoctadecanoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl 18-hydroxyoctadecanoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl 9,18-dihydroxyoctadecanoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl 10,18-dihydroxyoctadecanoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl 9,10,18-trihydroxyoctadecanoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl 9,10-epoxyoctadecanoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl (9Z)-octadec-9-enoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl (9E)-octadec-9-enoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl 18-hydroxy-9,10-dihydroxyoctadecanoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl 18-hydroxy-(9Z)-octadec-9-enoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl 18-hydroxy-(9E)-octadec-9-enoate, 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl (13Z)-docos-13-enoate, and 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yl (13E)-docos-13-enoate.

[0158] How to use Any of the coatings described herein can be used to protect any agricultural produce or plant, including various parts of the plant, such as the stem, shoot, flower, fruit, leaf, seed, root, etc. In some embodiments, the coating can be coated on edible agricultural produce, such as fruits, vegetables, edible seeds and nuts, herbs, spices, produce, meat, eggs, dairy, seafood, grains, or any other edible article. In some embodiments, the coating can be coated on an agricultural produce selected from apples, asparagus, apricots, avocados, bananas, blueberries, bayberries, cherries, clementines, mandarins, cucumbers, custard apples, figs, grapes, grapefruit, guava, kiwifruit, limes, lychees, mamey sapote, mangoes, melons, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, peppers, persimmons, pineapples, plums, strawberries, tomatoes, watermelons, and the like, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the coating may be coated on asparagus, avocado, blueberries, grapes, mandarins, or strawberries. In some embodiments, the coating may be coated on asparagus. In some embodiments, the coating may be coated on avocados. In some embodiments, the coating may be coated on blueberries. In some embodiments, the coating may be coated on grapes. In some embodiments, the coating may be coated on mandarins. In some embodiments, the coating may be coated on strawberries.

[0159] In some embodiments, the agricultural produce may be organic and / or wax-free. In such embodiments, the coating may include ingredients that are non-toxic and safe for human and / or animal consumption. For example, the coating may include ingredients that are US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved direct or indirect food additives, FDA approved food contact substances, meet FDA regulatory requirements for use as food additives or food contact substances, and / or are FDA Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) materials. Examples of such materials may be found on the World Wide Web at .accessdata.fda.gov / scripts / cdrh / cfdocs / cfcfr / cfrsearch.cfm, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. In some embodiments, the coating ingredients may include dietary supplements or dietary supplement ingredients. The coating ingredients may also include FDA approved food additives or color additives. In some embodiments, the coating can include naturally occurring ingredients, as described herein. In some embodiments, the coating can be configured to wash off the edible agricultural produce, for example with water.

[0160] In some embodiments, the coatings described herein can be applied to non-edible agricultural produce. Such non-edible agricultural produce can include, for example, non-edible flowers, seeds, shoots, stems, leaves, whole plants, and the like. In such embodiments, the coating can include ingredients that are non-toxic, but whose non-toxic threshold levels may be higher than those prescribed for edible produce. In such embodiments, the coating can include an FDA approved food contact substance, an FDA approved food additive, or an FDA approved drug substance, such as any substance included in the FDA Approved Drug Database, which can be found on the World Wide Web at "accessdata.fda.gov / scripts / cder / drugsatfda / index.cfm," the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. In some embodiments, the coating may comprise materials that meet FDA requirements for use with drugs or are listed in the FDA's National Drug Discovery Code Directory on the World Wide Web at accessdata.fda.gov / scripts / cder / ndc / default.cfm, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. In some embodiments, the materials may comprise inactive drug ingredients of approved drug products as listed in the FDA's database on the World Wide Web at accessdata.fda.gov / scripts / cder / ndc / default.cfm, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.

[0161] In some embodiments, the compositions described herein can be applied to agricultural produce before harvesting. In some embodiments, the pre-harvest above-ground biomass of the plant is contacted with the composition as described herein at least once before harvesting the plant product. In some embodiments, the pre-harvest above-ground biomass of the plant is contacted with the composition as described herein between 1-20 times before harvesting the plant product. For example, in some embodiments, the pre-harvest above-ground biomass of the plant is contacted with the composition as described herein between 1-20 times before harvesting the plant product.

[0162] In some embodiments, the plant product is harvested from the treated pre-harvest plant 1 day to about 1 month after the pre-harvest plant is treated with a composition as described herein. In some embodiments, the plant product is harvested from the treated pre-harvest plant 1 to 31 days after the pre-harvest plant is treated with a composition as described herein.

[0163] In some embodiments, the compositions described herein can be applied to agricultural produce after harvest.

[0164] The methods of the present disclosure are also useful for identifying antimicrobial microorganisms from multiple agricultural products, which may include isolating the antimicrobial microorganism from the agricultural product or through bioinformatics analysis of the microbial genome.

[0165] In one aspect, the disclosure relates to a method of identifying an antimicrobial microorganism, the method comprising storing a plurality of agricultural produces until at least 90%, at least 80%, at least 70%, at least 60%, at least 50%, at least 40%, at least 30%, at least 20%, or at least 10% of the agricultural produces show detectable signs of spoilage; and isolating the antimicrobial microorganism from the agricultural produces that show minimal detectable signs of spoilage.

[0166] Detectable signs of spoilage may include physical or chemical changes associated with ripening or spoilage of agricultural produce. For example, detectable signs of spoilage may include discoloration, such as browning, yellowing, blackening, and combinations thereof, mass loss, texture changes, visible signs of growth of one or more biological stressors, changes in starch metabolism, such as changes in the ratio of starch to soluble sugars, off-flavor development, off-flavor development, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, discoloration may include a change from a color indicative of an unripe fruit to a color indicative of a more ripe fruit. In some embodiments, texture changes include, for example, softening, wrinkling, increased fiber, increased sliminess, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the biological stressor is a fungus, a bacterium, an archaea, a protist, a pathogen, a pest, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, off-flavor development includes increased production of one or more spoilage metabolites. In some embodiments, the occurrence of off-flavors comprises increased production of one or more spoilage metabolic products, including organic acids, thiols, ammonia or salts thereof, indole, skatole, biogenic amines or salts thereof, gluconate or derivatives thereof, ketones, aldehydes, alcohols, esters, geosmin, diacetyl, acetaldehyde, butanol, dimethylsulfide, 2,3-butanedione, ethyl acetate, and / or free fatty acids up to 10 carbons in length. In some embodiments, the one or more organic acids comprise lactic acid, acetic acid, butyric acid, propionic acid, and formic acid.

[0167] In some embodiments, the antimicrobial microorganisms can be isolated from external components of the agricultural produce, such as the husk, pericarp, root endosphere, rhizosphere, or soil surrounding the agricultural produce. This can be accomplished by cutting the agricultural produce into small pieces and then vortexing and / or sonicating the agricultural produce pieces in a medium or buffer. The supernatant can be separated from the larger components, for example, by sedimentation or centrifugation. Methods for separating the larger components from the liquid are well known in the art. Isolation of the antimicrobial microorganisms can use, for example, repeated plate streaking and / or culture methods. The culture medium can be inoculated with supernatant from vortexed and / or sonicated agricultural produce pieces, agricultural produce pieces, or whole agricultural produce. Isolation of the antimicrobial microorganisms can include DNA sequencing and identification of the antimicrobial microbial isolate. Identification of the antimicrobial microbial isolates can use, for example, sequence-based methods such as 16S rRNA sequencing, or analysis of cultured bacterial characteristics, such as gram-positive or gram-negative status, as is well known in the art. In some embodiments, the method of identifying an antimicrobial microorganism from a plurality of agricultural products further comprises assaying the antimicrobial microorganism for antimicrobial activity after isolation of the antimicrobial microorganism. Determining antimicrobial activity may include identifying the production of antimicrobial molecules, such as non-ribosomal peptides (NRPs) or ribosomally synthesized post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs), using antimicrobial assays, such as fungal growth inhibition assays, or by analysis of the whole transcriptome and / or genome.

[0168] The plurality of agricultural produce may be infected with a food spoilage associated microorganism prior to storage to initiate spoilage or ripening of the agricultural produce. In some embodiments, the plurality of agricultural produce is allowed to spoil naturally with environmentally derived microorganisms without being infected with a food spoilage pathogen prior to storage. The agricultural produce may be infected with one or more (e.g., two or more, three or more, or four or more) food spoilage associated microorganisms. In some embodiments, the food spoilage pathogen is a fungus, a bacterial species, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the food spoilage pathogen is a mold. In some embodiments, the food spoilage pathogen is Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Penicillium digitatum, Penicillium italicum, Lasiodipodia theobromae, Geotrichum candidum, Alternaria citri, Phomopsis citrim, Fusarium spp., Geotrichum citri-aurantii, or Rhizopus stolonifera.

[0169] Also provided herein is a method of reducing, preventing, inhibiting, or slowing microbial growth in an agricultural produce comprising coating the agricultural produce with any of the coatings or compositions described herein. The coating can slow the onset of microbial growth in the agricultural produce, or the progression of growth in the agricultural produce.

[0170] Also provided herein is a method of improving the shelf life of an agricultural produce, comprising coating the agricultural produce with any of the coatings or compositions described herein. In some embodiments, the shelf life of the agricultural produce is improved without refrigeration. The coating can, for example, prevent loss of moisture from the agricultural produce and / or its oxidation by ambient air, and / or control, e.g., slow the rate of ripening, thereby minimizing deterioration and increasing the shelf life of the agricultural produce by helping it resist abiotic stressors.

[0171] Also provided herein is a method of preventing or reducing drying of produce, comprising coating the produce with any one of the embodiments described herein.

[0172] In some embodiments, a single coating is used. In some embodiments, multiple coats (e.g., multiple coats of the same composition or multiple coats of different compositions) are used. In some embodiments, multiple coats are applied sequentially. In some embodiments, the coatings are air dried or heated to dryness. In some embodiments, the coatings are dried in an air dry tunnel. In some embodiments, multiple coats are applied after the previous coat has been air dried, heat dried, or dried in an air dry tunnel.

[0173] In some embodiments, the deposition coating has a thickness of less than about 100 microns, e.g., less than 50 microns, less than 25 microns, less than 10 microns, less than 5 microns, less than 1 micron, less than 500 nm, or less than 250 nm, such that the coating is transparent to the naked eye. For example, the deposition coating may have a thickness of about 50 nm to about 100 microns, including all ranges therebetween. The deposition coating may have a high degree of crystallinity, thereby reducing transparency, such that the coating is deposited conformally over the agricultural produce and is free of defects and / or pinholes. In some embodiments, the dip coating process includes sequentially coating the agricultural produce with baths of precursors that may self-assemble or covalently bond on the agricultural produce to form the coating. In some embodiments, the coating is deposited on the agricultural produce by passing the agricultural produce under a flow of coating (e.g., a cascading stream of liquid coating). For example, the agricultural produce may be placed on a conveyor that passes through the flow of coating. In some embodiments, the coating is vapor deposited on the surface of the agricultural produce. In some embodiments, the coatings are formulated to be fixed to the surface of the agricultural produce by UV crosslinking or by exposure to a reactive gas, such as oxygen, hi some embodiments, the coatings are applied in the field prior to harvest as an alternative to pesticides.

[0174] Any of the coatings described herein can be placed on the outer surface of the agricultural produce or plant using any suitable means. For example, in some embodiments, the agricultural produce can be dip coated in a bath of the coating (e.g., an aqueous solution of hydrogen-bonding organic molecules). The coating can form a thin layer on the surface of the agricultural produce, which can protect the agricultural produce from biological stressors, water loss, and / or oxidation. In some embodiments, any coating is spray coated onto the agricultural produce. For example, a commercially available sprayer can be used to spray the coating or a precursor of the coating onto the agricultural produce. In some embodiments, the coating is electrically charged in the sprayer before being spray coated onto the agricultural produce, so that the coating becomes covalently bonded to the outer surface of the agricultural produce. In some embodiments, the coating is brushed onto the agricultural produce. In some embodiments, the brushing is performed using a brush stand. In some embodiments, the coating is deposited with an ultrasonic mister. For example, an ultrasonic mister, sometimes referred to as an ultrasonic atomizer, can convert high frequency sound waves into mechanical energy, which is transferred to a liquid to generate the mist. In some embodiments, the coating is a powder coating.

[0175] In some embodiments, the coating is deposited on the agricultural produce such that the coating does not bond to the surface of the agricultural produce. In some embodiments, one or more components of the coating, e.g., hydrogen-bonding organic molecules, are covalently (or hydrogen) bonded to at least a portion of the surface of the agricultural produce. This can result in, for example, improved coating properties, such as greater durability, tighter control of coating permeability and thickness, etc. In some embodiments, multiple coating layers are deposited on the surface of the agricultural produce. In some embodiments, multiple coating layers provide a more durable coating.

[0176] The coating may also be formulated to protect the surface of the portion of the plant or agricultural produce from scratches, dents, or any other mechanical damage, and / or to protect the portion of the plant or agricultural produce from photodegradation. The portion of the plant or agricultural produce may include, for example, leaves, stems, shoots, flowers, fruits, roots, etc. The coating may also be configured to prevent loss of water or other moisture from the coated portion of the plant or agricultural produce, retard ripening, and / or prevent diffusion of oxygen to the coated portion of the plant or agricultural produce, for example, thereby reducing oxidation of the coated portion of the plant or agricultural produce. EXAMPLES

[0177] Example 1: Method for isolating the antifungal microorganism Pseudomonas sp. strain 1 (Strain 1) from asparagus Pseudomonas sp. strain 1, hereafter referred to as strain 1, was originally isolated from asparagus. Briefly, the asparagus was left at room temperature and high humidity, after 7 days all but one of the sprouts deteriorated significantly. The one sprout that remained healthy was indeed grown and used for the isolation of a potentially antifungal microorganism.

[0178] Briefly, non-spoiled or spoiled asparagus was finely chopped and suspended in 10-25 mL of extraction solution, e.g., peptone water or phosphate buffered saline, vortexed, and sonicated to release attached microorganisms into the extraction solution. The extraction solution was then serially diluted and plated onto various media, e.g., nutrient agar, trypticase soy agar, laboratory media, or media derived from or containing extracts of the target agricultural product. Unique single colonies were then restreached with media to ensure purity. Pure isolates from non-spoiled asparagus were then tested in a growth inhibition plate assay, in which the microorganism and fungus of interest were plated next to each other, incubated, and monitored for inhibition of germination, signs of growth inhibition, and open areas (Figure 1).

[0179] Each plate was inoculated with 5 μL of saturated strain 1 culture, approximately 1 cm from the center of the plate, and incubated for 24 hours. 5 μL of fungal spore suspension was then inoculated on the opposite side of strain 1 and incubated for 5 days before imaging. Fungal spores included Botrytis cinerea (Bc) spores, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Cg) spores, Penicillium digitatum (Pd) spores, and Penicillium italicum (Pi) spores. For all fungal species tested, antifungal activity was indicated by smaller and less vigorously growing fungi. These growth inhibition assay plates showed a reduction in the area covered by Bc fungi (Figure 2), Pd fungi (Figure 4), and Pi fungi (Figure 5). The Cg fungi exhibited an 83% reduction in the area covered by the Cg fungi compared to the control plates (Figure 3). One of the isolates, strain 1, stood out as having strong antifungal attributes with evidence of spore germination inhibition and / or growth inhibition against all species tested.

[0180] Whole genome sequencing of strain 1 was then performed to classify it taxonomically, determine its safety, and identify potentially antifungal metabolites for further characterization. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed using MinION sequencing to obtain a circular complete genome. Taxonomic analysis of strain 1 indicates that it is likely a Pseudomonas species, most closely related to P. fluorescens, a species not currently present in databases. Genomic analysis indicates that this strain produces a number of potentially novel secondary metabolites, including molecules similar to pyoverdin, flagin, bacteriocins, bacillomycin, cepacin, rimosamide, and fengycin, all of which have been shown to have antifungal or antibacterial properties.

[0181] Taken together, the results described herein demonstrate that Strain 1 has extraordinary utility in preventing pre- and post-harvest fungal diseases.

[0182] Finally, the conditioned medium cultured with strain 1 was used to treat test agronomic produce to evaluate the antifungal efficacy in vivo in a fungal growth inhibition assay. Approximately 24 healthy grapes were destemmed and divided into two equal groups by removing the grapes from the pedicel, the short stalk attached to the grape. All grapes were inoculated with approximately 100 spores of Botrytis cinerea in the wound left by removing the pedicel. The control group of grapes were then briefly soaked in water, while the test group of grapes were treated with strain 1 by immersing the grapes in the conditioned medium, which is the liquid portion of the spent fermentation medium remaining after removing the cells by centrifugation. The grapes of both treatments were then incubated in a plastic container at room temperature and high relative humidity for 7 days and then imaged (Figure 6). The treated grapes show a reduced infection rate and less infection severity.

[0183] Another aspect of strain 1 that was revealed by in vitro testing and WGS is its potential for plant growth promotion. Strain 1 has several attributes that have been shown to promote plant growth, including the production of organic acids that solubilize nutrients from the surrounding soil, such as phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and zinc, improving the availability of these essential nutrients; the production of siderophores that provide iron to plants; the production of trehalose that helps maintain osmotic balance and prevent oxidative damage to cells; the production of antifungal peptides and chitinases that protect plants from fungal diseases and liberate soil nutrients; and finally, the production of exopolysaccharides and biofilm formation that can directly protect the plant and, together with other metabolites, can induce the plant's natural defense system to better protect itself from biotic and abiotic stressors.

[0184] Example 2: Method for isolating the antifungal microorganism Bacillus sp. (strain 22) from mandarin oranges Bacillus sp. strain 22, hereafter referred to as strain 22, was originally isolated from oranges. Briefly, flats of oranges were infected with Penicillium and left at room temperature and high humidity, and after 7 days, all but three of these oranges showed signs of severe fungal infection. The microbiomes of these oranges were then isolated and the isolates were screened for antifungal capabilities. One of the isolates, strain 22, stood out as having strong antifungal attributes.

[0185] Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was then performed using MinION sequencing to obtain a draft genome. Taxonomic analysis of strain 22 indicates that it is likely a Bacillus species, most closely related to B. thuringiensis and B. toyonensis, and not currently represented in the database. Genomic analysis indicates that the strain produces a number of potentially novel secondary metabolites, including bacitracin, quartromicin A1, batilibactin, petrobactin, molybdenum cofactors, and other nonribosomal peptide-like molecules. At least four chitinase genes (three copies of chitinase A1 and one copy of chitinase D), which hydrolyze the pathogen cell wall to release elicitors of plant defense responses, were also identified.

[0186] Another aspect of strain 22 that was revealed by in vitro testing and WGS is its potential for plant growth promotion. Strain 22 has several attributes that have been shown to promote plant growth, including the production of organic acids that solubilize nutrients from the surrounding soil, such as phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and zinc, improving the availability of essential nutrients; the production of siderophores that can provide iron to plants; the production of glycine betaine, which helps maintain osmotic balance and stabilizes the structure and activity of enzymes and protein complexes; the production of antifungal peptides and chitinases that can protect plants from fungal diseases and liberate soil nutrients; and finally, the formation of biofilms that can directly protect plants and, together with other metabolic products, can induce the plant's natural defense system to better protect itself from biotic and abiotic stressors.

[0187] Example 3: Methods for promoting plant growth. Pseudomonas sp. strain (stain) 1 and Bacillus sp. strain (stain) 22 were evaluated for plant-promoting ability by whole genome sequencing analysis.

[0188] Both Pseudomonas sp. strain 1 and Bacillus sp. strain 22 were found to possess several attributes that have been shown to promote plant growth, including the production of organic acids that solubilize nutrients from the surrounding soil, such as phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and zinc, improving the availability of these essential nutrients, the production of siderophores that provide iron to the plant, the production of antifungal peptides and chitinases that protect the plant from fungal disease and liberate soil nutrients, and finally, the production of exopolysaccharides and biofilm formation that can directly protect the plant and, together with other metabolic products, induce the plant's natural defense system to better protect itself from biotic and abiotic stressors.

[0189] In addition, Pseudomonas sp. strain 1 also produces trehalose, which helps maintain osmotic balance and prevents oxidative damage to cells. Bacillus sp. strain 22 also produces glycine betaine, which helps maintain osmotic balance and stabilizes the structure and activity of enzymes and protein complexes; and forms biofilms that can directly protect plants and, together with other metabolic products, can induce the plant's natural defense system to better protect itself from biotic and abiotic stressors.

[0190] A biological sample (e.g., bacterial culture or conditioned medium) containing strain 1 and / or strain 22 can be obtained. One or more microbial cultures, one or more microbial conditioned medium, or one or more isolated microorganisms can be combined with one or more fatty acid derivative compositions to create a coating for agricultural produce. The coated agricultural produce may exhibit improved shelf life compared to uncoated agricultural produce, and the growth of spoilage-associated microorganisms may be delayed, slowed, inhibited, or prevented. The coated agricultural plants may grow faster or more vigorously than uncoated plants, thereby causing plant growth promotion.

[0191] Example 4: Determining the antifungal activity of isolated bacteria. Seventy-two bacterial isolates from produce samples were screened for antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea (Bc), Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Cg), Penicillium digitatum (Pd), and Penicillium italicum (Pi) using an agar diffusion assay. Briefly, all bacterial isolates were recovered from -80°C glycerol stocks, plated on tryptic soy agar (TSA) or Reasoner 2A agar (R2A), and incubated at 30°C for approximately 3 days. For each bacterial isolate, a single colony was collected with a sterile inoculating loop and inoculated into 3 mL of tryptic soy broth (TSB) in a 15 mL test tube. The tube caps were replaced loosely and secured using tape to allow for aerobic conditions. The tubes were then incubated at a 45° angle on an orbital shaker set at 150 rpm and 30° C. for approximately 3 days.

[0192] [Table 5]

[0193] [Table 6]

[0194] [Table 7]

[0195] 10 µL of 1 x 10 for each fungal species 5 A suspension of fungal spores was inoculated onto agar plates of the appropriate medium, approximately 1 cm from the edge of the plate. Seventy-three plates were prepared for each fungal species, one for each bacterial isolate, and a negative control plate containing only the fungus. For Bc, juice agar (V8A) was used. For Cg, Pd, and Pi, potato dextrose agar (PDA) was used.

[0196] [Table 8]

[0197] [Table 9]

[0198] The fungal plates were then incubated at 25°C for approximately 1 day. Ten microliters of saturated culture for each bacterial isolate was inoculated onto each of the four fungal seed plates approximately 1 cm from the edge of the plate opposite the fungal inoculation spot. The assay plates were then incubated at 25°C for 10 days and examined on days 6–10.

[0199] For each combination of isolated bacterial and fungal species, a plate assay rank was assigned based on the scale in Table 2, and surface tension measurements were made.

[0200] [Table 10]

[0201] [Table 11]

[0202] The assay identified the following bacterial species with antifungal activity: Mucilaginibacter terrae, Kocuria dechangensis, Curtobacterium pusillum, Pseudoarthrobacter phenanthrenivorans, Niallia nealsonii, Frigoribacterium endophyticum, Curtobacterium pusillum, Arthrobacter agilis, and Kocuria rosea.

[0203] Bacterial species with antifungal activity were sequenced. The 16S rRNA sequences of specific strains that tested positive for antifungal activity in the plate assay are provided in Table 3. The 16S rRNA sequences were used to infer a phylogenetic tree (Figure 7).

[0204] [Table 12]

[0205] [Table 13]

[0206] [Table 14]

[0207] [Table 15]

[0208] [Table 16]

[0209] [Table 17]

[0210] [Table 18]

[0211] [Table 19]

[0212] [Table 20]

[0213] [Table 21]

[0214] [Table 22]

[0215] [Table 23]

[0216] [Table 24]

[0217] [Table 25]

[0218] Example 5: Determining volatile production of isolated bacteria. Bacterial isolates from produce samples were screened for volatile production against Botrytis cinerea (Bc), Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Cg), Penicillium digitatum (Pd), and Penicillium italicum (Pi) using the plate assay as described in Example 4. Each bacterial isolate and fungal species combination was assigned a plate assay rank and volatile production was measured based on the scale in Figure 8 and Table 4.

[0219] [Table 26]

[0220] [Table 27]

[0221] [Table 28]

[0222] Although the present disclosure includes many specific embodiment details, they should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the subject matter or what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to specific embodiments. Certain features described in the present disclosure in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in a single embodiment in combination. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments, individually, or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although the features described above may be described as being implemented in a particular combination, and even initially claimed as such, in some cases, one or more features from a claimed combination may be cut out of the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or a variation of the subcombination.

[0223] Detailed embodiments of the present subject matter have been described. Other embodiments, alternatives, and permutations of the described embodiments, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, are within the scope of the following claims. Although the figures or claims depict a particular sequence of operations, it should not be understood that performing such operations in the particular sequence or order shown, or performing all of the illustrated operations (although some operations may be considered optional), is essential to achieve desirable results.

[0224] As such, the exemplary embodiments described above do not define or limit the present disclosure, and other changes, substitutions, and alterations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms or conditioned media of a culture of a plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms; and one or more fatty acid derivatives A composition comprising:

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms includes antimicrobial microorganisms of two or more different genera.

3. 2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms are from a genus selected from the group consisting of Arthrobacter, Bacillus, Curtobacterium, Frigoribacterium, Kocuria, Mucilaginibacter, Niallia, Pantoea, Pseudoarthrobacter, Pseudomonas, Streptomyces, and Thermothelomyces.

4. The plurality of antibacterial microorganisms may be selected from the group consisting of Arthrobacter agilis, Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus toyonensis, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus aryanhattai, Bacillus aerophilus, Bacillus stratosphericus, Curtobacterium pusillum, Frigoribacterium endophyticum, Kocuria dechangensis, Kocuria rosea, and the like.

10. The composition of claim 1, comprising a strain of a species selected from Pseudomonas rosea, Mucilaginibacter terrae, Niallia nealsonii, Pantoea allii, Pseudoarthrobacter phenanthrenivorans, Pseudomonas moraviensis, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Streptomyces thermocarboxydus, and Thermothelomyces thermophilus.

5. 10. The composition of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms comprises one or more antimicrobial microorganisms selected from strains 1-116.

6. 2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antibacterial microorganisms comprises one or more antibacterial microorganisms selected from Bacillus strain 22, Pseudomonas strain 1, Bacillus strain 12, Bacillus strain 15, Bacillus strain 23, Bacillus strain 24, Bacillus strain 35, Streptomyces strain 33, and Pantoea strain 37.

7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms comprises two or more different strains of antimicrobial microorganisms.

8. 2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the antimicrobial microorganisms in the plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms comprise a 16S rRNA sequence that is at least 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, 99.1%, 99.2%, 99.3%, 99.4%, 99.5%, 99.6%, 99.7%, 99.8%, 99.9%, or 100% identical to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-57.

9. 10 per milliliter ３ ~10 １０ 10. The composition of claim 1, comprising CFUs of antimicrobial microorganisms.

10. 10. The composition of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the one or more fatty acid derivatives comprise one or more fatty acids, one or more fatty acid esters, one or more combinations of fatty acids and fatty ester acid esters, one or more fatty acid salts, or combinations thereof.

11. 11. The composition of claim 10, comprising from about 60% to about 99.99% by weight of the one or more fatty acids, fatty acid esters, or combinations thereof.

12. The composition of claim 10, comprising from about 0.01% to about 40% by weight of said one or more fatty acid salts.

13. 11. The composition of claim 10, comprising: from about 60% to about 99.99% by weight of one fatty acid or fatty acid ester; and from about 0.01% to about 40% by weight of one fatty acid salt.

14. 11. The composition of claim 10, comprising: from about 60% to about 99.99% by weight of two fatty acids, fatty acid esters, or combinations thereof; and from about 0.01% to about 40% by weight of one fatty acid salt.

15. 11. The composition of claim 10, comprising: from about 60% to about 99.99% by weight of one fatty acid or fatty acid ester; and from about 0.01% to about 40% by weight of two fatty acid salts.

16. 11. The composition of claim 10, comprising: from about 60% to about 99.99% by weight of two fatty acids, fatty acid esters, or combinations thereof; and from about 0.01% to about 40% by weight of two fatty acid salts.

17. Each of the one or more fatty acids, fatty acid esters, or combinations thereof is an independently selected compound of formula IA: 【Chemistry 1】 (In the formula, R is H, OH and C １ ~C ６ C optionally substituted with one or more of alkoxy １ ~C ６ alkyl; R １ , R ２ , R ３ , R ４ , R ５ , R ６ , R ７ , R ８ , and R ９ is H, OH, C １ ~C ６ Alkyl, C ２ ~C ６ Alkenyl, and C １ ~C ６ independently selected from alkoxy; R １０Ａ , R １０Ｂ , R １１Ａ , and R １１Ｂ is H, OH, C, １ ~C ６ Alkyl, C ２ ~C ６ Alkenyl, and C １ ~C ６ are independently selected from alkoxy ； or any two R on adjacent carbon atoms １ , R ２ , R ３ , R ４ , R ５ , R ６ , R ７ , R ８ , R ９ , R １０Ａ , R １０Ｂ , R １１Ａ , and R １１Ｂ together with the carbon atoms to which they are attached form a double bond, a 3- to 6-membered heterocycle, or C ３ ~C ６ forming a cycloalkyl; and o is an integer from 0 to 17; p is an integer from 0 to 17; where the sum of o and p is 0 to 17; or R is OH and C １ ~C ６ C optionally substituted with one or more of alkoxy １ ~C ６ The composition of claim 10, wherein when it is alkyl, it is a salt thereof.

18. Each compound of formula I has formula IA-A: 【Chemistry 2】 Independently selected compounds of (In the formula, R Ｂ１ and R Ｂ２ one of which is H, and R Ｂ１ and R Ｂ２ The other of them is -CH ２ OR Ａ and R Ａ is H and C, each occurrence １ ~C ６ independently selected from alkyl; R １ , R ２ , R ３ , R ４ , R ５ , R ６ , R ７ , R ８ , and R ９ is H, OH, C １ ~C ６ Alkyl, C ２ ~C ６ Alkenyl, and C １ ~C ６ independently selected from alkoxy; R １０Ａ , R １０Ｂ , R １１Ａ , and R １１Ｂ is H, OH, C, １ ~C ６ Alkyl, C ２ ~C ６ Alkenyl, and C １ ~C ６ independently selected from alkoxy; or any two R on adjacent carbon atoms １ , R ２ , R ３ , R ４ , R ５ , R ６ , R ７ , R ８ , R ９ , R １０Ａ , R １０Ｂ , R １１Ａ , and R １１Ｂ together with the carbon atoms to which they are attached form a double bond, a 3- to 6-membered heterocycle, or C ３ ~C ６ Forming a cycloalkyl; o is an integer from 0 to 17; p is an integer from 0 to 17; and where the sum of o and p is 0 to 17. or a salt thereof.

19. Each compound of formula IA-A has the formula IA-A-i: 【Transformation 3】 Independently selected compounds of (In the formula, R Ａ１ and R Ａ２ is H and C １ ~C ６ independently selected from alkyl; R １ , R ２ , R ３ , R ４ , R ５ , R ６ , R ７ , R ８ , and R ９ is H, OH, C １ ~C ６ Alkyl, C ２ ~C ６ Alkenyl, and C １ ~C ６ independently selected from alkoxy; R １０Ａ , R １０Ｂ , R １１Ａ , and R １１Ｂ is H, OH, C, １ ~C ６ Alkyl, C ２ ~C ６ Alkenyl, and C １ ~C ６ independently selected from alkoxy; or any two R on adjacent carbon atoms １ , R ２ , R ３ , R ４ , R ５ , R ６ , R ７ , R ８ , R ９ , R １０Ａ , R １０Ｂ , R １１Ａ , and R １１Ｂ together with the carbon atoms to which they are attached form a double bond, a 3- to 6-membered heterocycle, or C ３ ~C ６ Forming a cycloalkyl; o is an integer from 0 to 17; p is an integer from 0 to 17; and where the sum of o and p is 0 to 17. or a salt thereof.

20. Each fatty acid salt has the formula IIA: 【Chemistry 4】 (In the formula, R １ , R ２ , R ３ , R ４ , R ５ , R ６ , R ７ , R ８ , and R ９ is H, OH, C １ ~C ６ Alkyl, C ２ ~C ６ Alkenyl, and C １ ~C ６ independently selected from alkoxy; R １０Ａ , R １０Ｂ , R １１Ａ , and R １１Ｂ is H, OH, C, １ ~C ６ Alkyl, C ２ ~C ６ Alkenyl, and C １ ~C ６ independently selected from alkoxy; or any two R on adjacent carbon atoms １ , R ２ , R ３ , R ４ , R ５ , R ６ , R ７ , R ８ , R ９ , R １０Ａ , R １０Ｂ , R １１Ａ , and R １１Ｂ together with the carbon atoms to which they are attached form a double bond, a 3- to 6-membered heterocycle, or C ３ ~C ６ Forming a cycloalkyl; o is an integer from 0 to 17; p is an integer from 0 to 17; wherein the sum of o and p is 0 to 17; X ｎ＋ is a cationic moiety having a formal charge n; and R', each occurrence, is selected from H and C １ ~C ６ 11. The composition of claim 10, wherein the compounds are independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl, methyl ...

21. 1. A method for identifying antimicrobial microorganisms from a plurality of agricultural products, comprising: storing the plurality of agricultural products until at least 90% of the agricultural products show detectable signs of spoilage; and Isolating said antimicrobial microorganism from said agricultural produce showing minimal detectable signs of spoilage. A method comprising:

22. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the plurality of agricultural products are treated with a food spoilage pathogen prior to storage.

23. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the food spoilage pathogen is a fungal or bacterial species.

24. 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising assaying said antimicrobial microorganism for antimicrobial activity after isolating said antimicrobial microorganism.

25. 25. The method of any one of claims 21 to 24, wherein the detectable signs of spoilage are selected from discoloration, a change in the ratio of starch to soluble sugars, mass loss, a change in texture, visible signs of growth of a biological stressor, the development of off-flavors, the development of off-tastes, and combinations thereof.

26. 26. The method of claim 25, wherein the discoloration is selected from browning, yellowing, blackening, and combinations thereof.

27. 26. The method of claim 25, wherein the change in texture is selected from softening, wrinkling, increased fiber, increased sliminess, and combinations thereof.

28. 26. The method of claim 25, wherein the biological stressor is selected from a fungus, a bacterium, and combinations thereof.

29. 26. The method of claim 25, wherein the occurrence of off-flavors comprises increased production of one or more spoilage metabolic products.

30. 26. The method of claim 25, wherein the occurrence of off-flavors comprises increased production of one or more spoilage metabolic products.

31. 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the one or more putrefactive metabolites are selected from organic acids, thiols, ammonia or salts thereof, indole, skatole, biogenic amines or salts thereof, gluconate or derivatives thereof, ketones, aldehydes, alcohols, esters, geosmin, diacetyl, acetaldehyde, butanol, dimethyl sulfide, 2,3-butanedione, ethyl acetate, and free fatty acids of a maximum length of 10.

32. 32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the one or more organic acids are selected from lactic acid, acetic acid, butyric acid, propionic acid, and formic acid.

33. 1. A method for reducing microbial growth in agricultural produce, comprising coating the agricultural produce with a first composition comprising a plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms or conditioned media of a plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms.

34. 1. A method for delaying the occurrence of microbial growth in agricultural produce, the method comprising coating the agricultural produce with a first composition comprising a plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms or conditioned media of a plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms.

35. 1. A method of improving the shelf life of an agricultural produce, comprising coating the agricultural produce with a first composition comprising a plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms or conditioned media of a plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms.

36. 1. A method for reducing drying out of agricultural produce, comprising coating the agricultural produce with a first composition comprising a plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms or conditioned media of a plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms.

37. 37. The method of any one of claims 33-36, wherein the first composition further comprises one or more fatty acids, one or more fatty acid esters, one or more combinations of fatty acids and fatty acid esters, one or more fatty acid derivatives, one or more fatty acid salts, or a combination thereof.

38. 37. The method of any one of claims 33-36, further comprising coating the agricultural produce with a second composition comprising one or more fatty acids, one or more fatty acid esters, one or more combinations of fatty acids and fatty acid esters, one or more fatty acid derivatives, one or more fatty acid salts, or combinations thereof.

39. 37. The method of any one of claims 33-36, wherein the first composition comprises from about 70% to about 99% by weight of one or more fatty acids, one or more fatty acid esters, one or more combinations of fatty acids and fatty acid esters, one or more fatty acid derivatives, one or more fatty acid salts, or combinations thereof.

40. 37. The method of any one of claims 33 to 36, wherein the first composition comprises from about 1% to about 30% by weight of one or more fatty acid salts.

41. 37. The method of any one of claims 33-36, wherein the first composition comprises from about 70% to about 99% by weight of one or more fatty acids, one or more fatty acid esters, or one or more combinations of the fatty acids and the fatty acid esters; and from about 1% to about 30% by weight of one or more fatty acid salts.

42. Each of the one or more fatty acids, one or more fatty acid esters, or combinations thereof is an independently selected compound of formula IA: 【Transformation 5】 (In the formula, R is H, OH and C １ ~C ６ C optionally substituted with one or more of alkoxy １ ~C ６ alkyl; R １ , R ２ , R ３ , R ４ , R ５ , R ６ , R ７ , R ８ , and R ９ is H, OH, C １ ~C ６ Alkyl, C ２ ~C ６ Alkenyl, and C １ ~C ６ independently selected from alkoxy; R １０Ａ , R １０Ｂ , R １１Ａ , and R １１Ｂ is H, OH, C, １ ~C ６ Alkyl, C ２ ~C ６ Alkenyl, and C １ ~C ６ independently selected from alkoxy; or any two R on adjacent carbon atoms １ , R ２ , R ３ , R ４ , R ５ , R ６ , R ７ , R ８ , R ９ , R １０Ａ , R １０Ｂ , R １１Ａ , and R １１Ｂ together with the carbon atoms to which they are attached form a double bond, a 3- to 6-membered heterocycle, or C ３ ~C ６ forming a cycloalkyl; and o is an integer from 0 to 17; p is an integer from 0 to 17; where the sum of o and p is 0 to 17; or R is OH and C １ ~C ６ C optionally substituted with one or more of alkoxy １ ~C ６ 38. The method of claim 37, wherein when it is alkyl, it is a salt thereof.

43. Each compound of formula I has formula IA-A: 【Transformation 6】 Independently selected compounds of (In the formula, R Ｂ１ and R Ｂ２ one of which is H, and R Ｂ１ and R Ｂ２ The other of them is -CH ２ OR Ａ and R Ａ is H and C, each occurrence １ ~C ６ independently selected from alkyl; R １ , R ２ , R ３ , R ４ , R ５ , R ６ , R ７ , R ８ , and R ９ is H, OH, C １ ~C ６ Alkyl, C ２ ~C ６ Alkenyl, and C １ ~C ６ independently selected from alkoxy; R １０Ａ , R １０Ｂ , R １１Ａ , and R １１Ｂ is H, OH, C, １ ~C ６ Alkyl, C ２ ~C ６ Alkenyl, and C １ ~C ６ independently selected from alkoxy; or any two R on adjacent carbon atoms １ , R ２ , R ３ , R ４ , R ５ , R ６ , R ７ , R ８ , R ９ , R １０Ａ , R １０Ｂ , R １１Ａ , and R １１Ｂ together with the carbon atoms to which they are attached form a double bond, a 3- to 6-membered heterocycle, or C ３ ~C ６ Forming a cycloalkyl; o is an integer from 0 to 17; p is an integer from 0 to 17; and where the sum of o and p is 0 to 17. or a salt thereof.

44. Each compound of formula IA-A has the formula IA-A-i: 【Transformation 7】 Independently selected compounds of (In the formula, R Ａ１ and R Ａ２ is H and C １ ~C ６ independently selected from alkyl; R １ , R ２ , R ３ , R ４ , R ５ , R ６ , R ７ , R ８ , and R ９ is H, OH, C １ ~C ６ Alkyl, C ２ ~C ６ Alkenyl, and C １ ~C ６ independently selected from alkoxy; R １０Ａ , R １０Ｂ , R １１Ａ , and R １１Ｂ is H, OH, C, １ ~C ６ Alkyl, C ２ ~C ６ Alkenyl, and C １ ~C ６ independently selected from alkoxy; or any two R on adjacent carbon atoms １ , R ２ , R ３ , R ４ , R ５ , R ６ , R ７ , R ８ , R ９ , R １０Ａ , R １０Ｂ , R １１Ａ , and R １１Ｂ together with the carbon atoms to which they are attached form a double bond, a 3- to 6-membered heterocycle, or C ３ ~C ６ Forming a cycloalkyl; o is an integer from 0 to 17; p is an integer from 0 to 17; and where the sum of o and p is 0 to 17. or a salt thereof.

45. Each fatty acid salt has the formula IIA: 【Transformation 8】 (In the formula, R １ , R ２ , R ３ , R ４ , R ５ , R ６ , R ７ , R ８ , and R ９ is H, OH, C １ ~C ６ Alkyl, C ２ ~C ６ Alkenyl, and C １ ~C ６ independently selected from alkoxy; R １０Ａ , R １０Ｂ , R １１Ａ , and R １１Ｂ is H, OH, C, １ ~C ６ Alkyl, C ２ ~C ６ Alkenyl, and C １ ~C ６ independently selected from alkoxy; or any two R on adjacent carbon atoms １ , R ２ , R ３ , R ４ , R ５ , R ６ , R ７ , R ８ , R ９ , R １０Ａ , R １０Ｂ , R １１Ａ , and R １１Ｂ together with the carbon atoms to which they are attached form a double bond, a 3- to 6-membered heterocycle, or C ３ ~C ６ Forming a cycloalkyl; o is an integer from 0 to 17; p is an integer from 0 to 17; wherein the sum of o and p is 0 to 17; X ｎ＋ is a cationic moiety having a formal charge n; and R', each occurrence, is selected from H and C １ ~C ６ 38. The method of claim 37, wherein the compound is independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl, methyl ...

46. 37. The method of any one of claims 33 to 36, wherein the plurality of antibacterial microorganisms comprises antifungal microorganisms of two or more different genera.

47. 37. The method of any one of claims 33 to 36, wherein the plurality of antibacterial microorganisms belong to a genus selected from the group consisting of Arthrobacter, Bacillus, Curtobacterium, Frigoribacterium, Kocuria, Mucilaginibacter, Niallia, Pantoea, Pseudoarthrobacter, Pseudomonas, Streptomyces, and Thermothelomyces.

48. The plurality of antibacterial microorganisms may be selected from the group consisting of Arthrobacter agilis, Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus toyonensis, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus aryanhattai, Bacillus aerophilus, Bacillus stratosphericus, Curtobacterium pusillum, Frigoribacterium endophyticum, Kocuria dechangensis, Kocuria rosea, and the like.

37. The method of any one of claims 33 to 36, wherein the bacterial strain comprises a strain of a species selected from Pseudomonas rosea, Mucilaginibacter terrae, Niallia nealsonii, Pantoea allii, Pseudoarthrobacter phenanthrenivorans, Pseudomonas moraviensis, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Streptomyces thermocarboxydus, and Thermothelomyces thermophilus.

49. 37. The method of any one of claims 33 to 36, wherein the plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms comprises one or more antimicrobial microorganisms selected from strains 1 to 116.

50. 37. The method of any one of claims 33 to 36, wherein the plurality of antibacterial microorganisms comprises one or more antibacterial microorganisms selected from Bacillus strain 22, Pseudomonas strain 1, Bacillus strain 12, Bacillus strain 15, Bacillus strain 23, Bacillus strain 24, Bacillus strain 35, Streptomyces strain 33, and Pantoea strain 37.

51. 37. The method of any one of claims 33-36, wherein the antimicrobial microorganisms in the plurality of antimicrobial microorganisms comprise a 16S rRNA sequence that is at least 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, 99.1%, 99.2%, 99.3%, 99.4%, 99.5%, 99.6%, 99.7%, 99.8%, 99.9%, or 100% identical to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-57.

52. The method of any one of claims 33 to 36, wherein the plurality of antibacterial microorganisms comprises antibacterial microorganisms of two or more different strains.

53. The composition is 10 per milliliter ３ ~10 １０ 37. The method of any one of claims 33 to 36, comprising CFU of antibacterial microorganisms.

54. 39. The method of claim 38, wherein said coating with said second composition occurs simultaneously with said coating with said first composition.

55. 37. The method of any one of claims 33 to 36, wherein the agricultural produce is coated before harvest.

56. 37. The method of any one of claims 33 to 36, wherein the agricultural produce is coated after harvest.

57. 37. The method of any one of claims 33 to 36, wherein coating the agricultural produce comprises spraying the composition onto the agricultural produce.

58. 37. The method of any one of claims 33 to 36, wherein coating the agricultural produce comprises dipping the agricultural produce in the composition.

59. 37. The method of any one of claims 33 to 36, wherein coating the agricultural produce comprises brushing the composition onto the agricultural produce.

60. 60. The method of claim 59, wherein the brushing is performed using a brush stand.

61. 37. The method of any one of claims 33 to 36, wherein the agricultural produce comprises a fruit, vegetable, plant, or flower.

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