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Variation in Tocochromanols Level and Mycotoxins Content in Sweet Maize Cultivars after Inoculation with Fusarium verticillioides and F. proliferatum
Plant Metabolites Affect Fusarium proliferatum Metabolism and In Vitro Fumonisin Biosynthesis
Fusarium proliferatum is a common hemi-biotrophic pathogen that infect a wide range of host plants, often leading to substantial crop loss and yield reduction. F. proliferatum synthesizes various mycotoxins, and fumonisins B are the most prevalent. They act as virulence factors and specific effectors that elicit host resistance. The effects of selected plant metabolites on the metabolism of the F. proliferatum strain were analyzed in this study. Quercetin-3-glucoside (Q-3-Glc) and kaempferol-3-rutinoside (K-3-Rut) induced the pathogen’s growth, while DIMBOA, isorhamnetin-3-O-rutinoside (Iso-3-Rut), ferulic acid (FA), protodioscin, and neochlorogenic acid (NClA) inhibited fungal growth. The expression of seven F. proliferatum genes related to primary metabolism and four FUM genes was measured using RT-qPCR upon plant metabolite addition to liquid cultures. The expression of CPR6 and SSC1 genes was induced 24 h after the addition of chlorogenic acid (ClA), while DIMBOA and protodioscin reduced their expression. The transcription of FUM1 on the third day of the experiment was increased by all metabolites except for Q-3-Glc when compared to the control culture. The expression of FUM6 was induced by protodioscin, K-3-Rut, and ClA, while FA and DIMBOA inhibited its expression. FUM19 was induced by all metabolites except FA. The highest concentration of fumonisin B1 (FB1) in control culture was 6.21 µg/mL. Protodioscin did not affect the FB content, while DIMBOA delayed their synthesis/secretion. Flavonoids and phenolic acids displayed similar effects. The results suggest that sole metabolites can have lower impacts on pathogen metabolism and mycotoxin synthesis than when combined with other compounds present in plant extracts. These synergistic effects require additional studies to reveal the mechanisms behind them.
Dynamics of Deoxynivalenol and Nivalenol Glucosylation in Wheat Cultivars Infected with Fusarium culmorum in Field Conditions - A 3 Year Study (2018–2020)
In Vitro Effects of Lemon Balm Extracts in Reducing the Growth and Mycotoxins Biosynthesis of Fusarium culmorum and F. proliferatum
The objectives of this research were to obtain the extracts of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) using supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2) and methanol as co-solvent and evaluate the antifungal activity of those extracts against two selected strains of Fusarium species (Fusarium culmorum and Fusarium proliferatum). The extraction conditions were set at 40 and 60 °C and 250 bar. The obtained extracts were characterized in terms of antifungal activity on potato dextrose agar media (PDA). The results showed that the extraction parameters had different effects on mycelium growth and mycotoxins biosynthesis reduction. All studied lemon balm extracts (1, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10%) inhibited the growth of F. proliferatum and F. culmorum mycelia compared to the control. The lemon balm extracts significantly reduced ergosterol content and synthesized mycotoxins in both tested strains. These findings support the antifungal activity of lemon balm extracts against F. proliferatum and F. culmorum. However, more research on other Fusarium species is needed, as well as in vivo applications, before considering lemon balm extracts as a natural alternative to synthetic fungicides.