Yarrowia lipolytica reduces the disease incidence of asparagus infected by Fusarium proliferatum by affecting respiratory metabolism and energy status

•Y. lipolytica is a potential biocontrol of F. proliferatum in asparagus.•The activities of respiratory related enzymes were increased by Y. lipolytica.•ATP content and energy charge were increased by Y. lipolytica.•Reduction state were enhanced in asparagus by Y. lipolytica. This study investigated the effects of Yarrowia lipolytica on disease development, respiratory metabolism, energy status, and reduction state in postharvest asparagus. The result of the study showed that postharvest treatment with Y. lipolytica reduced the disease incidence of asparagus inoculated with Fusarium. proliferatum compared to the untreated ones. Treatment with Y. lipolytica also increased the activities of respiratory-related enzymes phosphofructokinase (PFK), pyruvate kinase (PK), citrate synthase (CS), isocitrate dehydrogenase of mitochondrion (ICDHm), α-ketoglutaricdehydrogenase (α-KGDH), succinodehydrogenase (SDH), 6-phosphate-dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH), 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6-PGDH), NAD kinase (NADK), and cytochrome oxidase (CCO). Besides, the contents of ATP and energy charges were increased. The activities of H+-ATPase, Ca2+-ATPase, and Mg2+-ATPase were increased after the treatment. Besides, the contents of NAD+ and NADP+ were decreased, but the contents of NADH and NADPH were increased. These findings demonstrated that postharvest treatment of asparagus with Y. lipolytica could be used to inhibit the disease development; because Y. lipolytica increased the respiration rate, helped maintain a high energy status, and a high reduction state. Those results indicated that the Y. lipolytica treatment was a facile and effective way to inhibit the disease development of postharvest asparagus.