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. 2017 Jul 29;22(8):1271.
doi: 10.3390/molecules22081271.

In Vitro Evaluation of Sub-Lethal Concentrations of Plant-Derived Antifungal Compounds on FUSARIA Growth and Mycotoxin Production

Caterina Morcia  1 , Giorgio Tumino  2 , Roberta Ghizzoni  3 , Assetou Bara  4 , Nesrine Salhi  5 , Valeria Terzi  6
Affiliations

In Vitro Evaluation of Sub-Lethal Concentrations of Plant-Derived Antifungal Compounds on FUSARIA Growth and Mycotoxin Production

Caterina Morcia et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Phytopathogenic fungi can lead to significant cereal yield losses, also producing mycotoxins dangerous for human and animal health. The fungal control based on the use of synthetic fungicides can be complemented by "green" methods for crop protection, based on the use of natural products. In this frame, the antifungal activities of bergamot and lemon essential oils and of five natural compounds recurrent in essential oils (citronellal, citral, cinnamaldehyde, cuminaldehyde and limonene) have been evaluated against three species of mycotoxigenic fungi (Fusarium sporotrichioides, F. graminearum and F. langsethiae) responsible for Fusarium Head Blight in small-grain cereals. The natural products concentrations effective for reducing or inhibiting the in vitro fungal growth were determined for each fungal species and the following scale of potency was found: cinnamaldehyde > cuminaldehyde > citral > citronellal > bergamot oil > limonene > lemon oil. Moreover, the in vitro mycotoxin productions of the three Fusaria strains exposed to sub-lethal concentrations of the seven products was evaluated. The three fungal species showed variability in response to the treatments, both in terms of inhibition of mycelial growth and in terms of modulation of mycotoxin production that can be enhanced by sub-lethal concentrations of some natural products. This last finding must be taken into account in the frame of an open field application of some plant-derived fungicides.

Keywords: Fusarium graminearum; Fusarium langsethiae; Fusarium sporotrichioides; HT-2 toxins; T-2; deoxynivalenol (DON); natural products.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Inhibitory concentrations of the natural products on Fusaria mycelial growth. The mean concentrations (expressed as mL of compounds/100mL medium) that give a 50% inhibition (blue bars) and a 100% inhibition (red bars) of the mycelium growth in vitro are shown. The values are calculated as means of the three Fusaria species.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Impact of sub-lethal product concentrations on F. graminearum growth and mycotoxin production. Blue bars indicate the mean values of mycelium in vitro growth (expressed as percentage of growth respect to untreated control) of Fusarium graminearum treated with sub-lethal concentrations of the indicated natural products. Green bars represent the mycotoxin production (expressed as percentage of deoxynivalenol (DON) respect to untreated control) and the line chart indicates the DON concentration (expressed in ppb) per mycelium unit area (expressed in cm2).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Impact of sub-lethal product concentrations on F. langsethiae growth and mycotoxin production. Blue bars indicate the mean values of mycelium in vitro growth (expressed as percentage of growth respect to untreated control) of Fusarium langsethiae treated with sub-lethal concentrations of the indicated natural products. Green bars represent the mycotoxin production (expressed as percentage of T-2, HT-2 respect to untreated control) and the line chart indicates the T-2, HT-2 concentration (expressed in ppb) per mycelium unit area (expressed in cm2).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Impact of sub-lethal product concentrations on F. sporotrichioides growth and mycotoxin production. Blue bars indicate the mean values of mycelium in vitro growth (expressed as percentage of growth respect to untreated control) of Fusarium sporotrichioides treated with sub-lethal concentrations of the indicated natural products. Green bars represent the mycotoxin production (expressed as percentage of T-2, HT-2 respect to untreated control) and the line chart indicates the T-2, HT-2 concentration (expressed in ppb) per mycelium unit area (expressed in cm2).
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