Tracking and Treating Fungal Contamination in Indoor-Growing Barley Sprouts

The industrialised production of barley sprouts is a nutritional replenish for livestock, whereas it is being threatened by fungal contamination derived from the closed and humid environment. This study investigates the fungal communities in barley seeds and sprouts and explores the utilisation of ozone water as a mould control method. In barley seeds of 10 cultivars, Alternaria alternata, Phoma epicoccina and Fusarium cerealis were the most abundant fungal species and varied between barley cultivars. A significant transformation in fungal communities after seed germination was observed, featured by the shifted community structure and a significant decline of alpha diversity in the eight-day sprouts. Arthroderma vanbreuseghemii, Fusarium cerealis and Candida quercitrusa were identified to proliferate in eight-day barley sprouts. Ozone water treatment was effective in suppressing fungal contamination including A. vanbreuseghemii and several Fusarium spp. Among the volatile organic compounds, the abundance of 3-Octanone isomers was significantly reduced by ozone water treatment, suggesting its potential role as a volatile marker for monitoring mould outbreak. Our research emphasises cultivar-specific fungal profiles in the production of barley sprouts and proposes ozone water as an effective control measure to ensure the safety of barley sprouts.