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. 2023 Jun 27;28(13):5025.
doi: 10.3390/molecules28135025.

Exploration and Evaluation of Secondary Metabolites from Trichoderma harzianum: GC-MS Analysis, Phytochemical Profiling, Antifungal and Antioxidant Activity Assessment

Wassima Lakhdari  1   2 , Ibtissem Benyahia  3 , Mustapha Mounir Bouhenna  4 , Hamdi Bendif  5 , Hafida Khelafi  2 , Hakim Bachir  6 , Amel Ladjal  2 , Hamida Hammi  1 , Dajwahir Mouhoubi  7 , Hanane Khelil  7 , Taghrid S Alomar  8 , Najla AlMasoud  8 , Nabil Boufafa  7 , Fehmi Boufahja  9 , Abderrahmene Dehliz  1
Affiliations

Exploration and Evaluation of Secondary Metabolites from Trichoderma harzianum: GC-MS Analysis, Phytochemical Profiling, Antifungal and Antioxidant Activity Assessment

Wassima Lakhdari et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

In this study, we investigated in vitro the potential of Trichoderma harzianum to produce bioactive secondary metabolites that can be used as alternatives to synthetic compounds. The study focused on analyzing two extracts of T. harzianum using ethyl acetate and n-butanol solvents with different polarities. The extracts were examined using phytochemical analysis to determine the content of polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins, and alkaloids. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) analysis were used to profile volatile organic metabolites (VOCs) present in the extracts. Furthermore, the extracts were tested for their antifungal ability using the poison food technique. For measuring antioxidant activity, the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) test was used. Trichoderma harzianum was shown to have a significantly high content of tannins and alkaloids, with a noticeable difference between the two extracts. GC-MS analysis identified 33 potential compounds with numerous benefits that could be used in agriculture and the medicinal industry. Moreover, strong antifungal activity was identified against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum by 94.44%, Alternaria sp. by 77.04%, and Fusarium solani by 51.48; similarly, the IC50 of antioxidant activity was estimated for ethyl acetate extract by 71.47% and n-butanol extract by 56.01%. This leads to the conclusion that Trichoderma harzianum VOCs play a significant role as an antifungal and antioxidant agent when taking into account the advantageous bioactive chemicals noted in the extracts. However, to our knowledge, this is the first study in Algeria presenting detailed phytochemical analysis and GC-MS profiling of Trichoderma harzianum for two extracts, ethyl acetate and n-butanol.

Keywords: Trichoderma harzianum; antifungal; antioxidant; bioactive metabolite; natural products.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Thin layer chromatography (TLC) of n-butanol of T. harzianum. (a): Under UV (254); (b): Under UV (365); (c): Iodine reagent; (d): Aluminum AlCl3; (e): Dragendroff reagent; (f) Vanillin/Sulfuric acid reagent.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Thin layer chromatography (TLC) of n-butanol of T. harzianum. (a): Under UV (254); (b): Under UV (365); (c): Iodine reagent; (d): Aluminum AlCl3; (e): Dragendroff reagent; (f): Vanillin/Sulfuric acid reagent.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) separation chromatograms for ethyl acetate extract of T. harzianum.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) separation chromatograms for n-butanol extract of T. harzianum.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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