Characterization of antifungal natural products isolated from endophytic fungi of finger millet (Eleusine coracana) Annex 6

Date

2016-09

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Molecules

Abstract

Finger millet is an ancient African-Indian crop that is resistant to many pathogens including the fungus, Fusarium graminearum. We previously reported the first isolation of putative fungal endophytes from finger millet and showed that the crude extracts of four strains had anti-Fusarium activity. However, active compounds were isolated from only one strain. The objectives of this study were to confirm the endophytic lifestyle of the three remaining anti-Fusarium isolates, to identify the major underlying antifungal compounds, and to initially characterize the mode(s) of action of each compound. Results of confocal microscopy and a plant disease assay were consistent with the three fungal strains behaving as endophytes. Using bio-assay guided fractionation and spectroscopic structural elucidation, three anti-Fusarium secondary metabolites were purified and characterized. These molecules were not previously reported to derive from fungi nor have antifungal activity. The purified antifungal compounds were: 5-hydroxy 2(3H)-benzofuranone, dehydrocostus lactone (guaianolide sesquiterpene lactone), and harpagoside (an iridoide glycoside). Light microscopy and vitality staining were used to visualize the in vitro interactions between each compound and Fusarium; the results suggested a mixed fungicidal/fungistatic mode of action. We conclude that finger millet possesses fungal endophytes that can synthesize anti-fungal compounds not previously reported as bio-fungicides against F. graminearum.

Description

W.K.M. was supported by generous scholarships from the Government of Egypt, the University of Guelph International Graduate Student Scholarship (2012, 2014). This research was supported by grants to M.N.R. by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food (OMAF), Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) and the Canadian International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Global Affairs Canada as part of the CIFSRF program.

Keywords

5-HDROXY 2(3H)-BENZOFURANONE, FUSARIUM SP, PENICILLIUM SP, DEHYDROCOSTUS LACTONE, ENDOPHYTE, FINGER MILLET, FUNGUS, HARPAGOSIDE

Citation

Mousa WK, Schwan AL, Raizada MN, Characterization of antifungal natural products isolated from endophytic fungi or finger millet (Eleusine coracana), Molecules, 2016 Sep 3:21(9), doi: 1-.3390/molecules21091171.

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