Unlocking the blue treasure: Marine-derived fungi and their metabolites for green preservation of fruits and vegetables

Postharvest losses of fruits and vegetables caused by pathogenic fungi and oxidative stress highlight the need for sustainable preservation strategies, and marine-derived fungi provide structurally diverse secondary metabolites with dual antifungal and antioxidant activities. These metabolites inhibit major pathogens through multitarget mechanisms, including cell membranes disruption, oxidative stress induction, and interference with energy and metabolic pathways, thereby reducing the likelihood of pathogen resistance. Incorporation of these compounds into biodegradable materials, such as composite films, enhance stability, enable controlled release, and provide dual-function preservation. Unlike previous reviews that mainly focus on individual aspects such as antimicrobial activity, antioxidant activity, or packaging applications, this review proposes the “full-chain” framework for marine-derived fungal applications in fruit and vegetable preservation, covering resource screening, bioactivity identification, mechanism analysis, safety evaluation, and material development. Future studies should focus on systematic resource exploration, functional integration of metabolites, and comprehensive safety evaluation to facilitate industrial applications.