Methods of treating plant-based products to reduce microbe proliferation and extend shelf life

The method of any preceding claim, wherein the one or more ascarosides have the structure (I)

• where:
• Z is an optionally substituted C2-40 aliphatic group, and
• each of Ra and Rb is independently —H, or an optionally substituted moiety selected from the group consisting of:
• C1-20 aliphatic, C1-20 acyl, C1-20 heteroaliphatic, aryl, heteroaryl, a hydroxyl protecting group, a phosphorous-linked functional group, a sulfur-linked functional group, a silicon-linked functional group, a C2-20 carbonate (e.g. —a moiety —C(O)ORc), a C2-20 carbamate (e.g. —a moiety —C(O)N(Rc)2), a C2-20 thioester (e.g. a moiety —C(S)Rc), a C2-20 thiocarbonate (e.g. a moiety —C(S)ORc), a C2-20 dithiocarbonate (e.g. a moiety —C(S)SRc), a C1-20 thiocarbamate (e.g. a moiety —C(S)N(R)2), a sugar moiety, a peptide, a polymer chain, or a linkage via a bond or a carbon-containing linker moiety to another ascaroside molecule. Where Ro is independently at each occurrence selected from —H, optionally substituted C1-12 aliphatic, optionally substituted C1-12 heteroaliphatic, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted heteroaryl, a polymer chain, or a linkage via a bond or a carbon-containing linker moiety to another ascaroside molecule, and where Ra and Rb may be taken together to form an optionally substituted ring, optionally containing one or more heteroatoms, and optionally containing one or more sites of unsaturation.