Antifungal activity of plant extracts against Embellisia astragali, the fungal causal agent of yellow dwarf and root-rot disease of standing milkvetch

Abstract

In an attempt to find biological fungicides, we screened 18 medicinal plants used in Chinese traditional medicine for their activity against Embellisia astragali, the causative fungus of yellow dwarf and root-rot disease in standing milkvetch (Astragalus adsurgens Pall.). The antifungal efficacy of ethanolic extracts of these plants was tested in vitro. Our results show that among the 18 plants tested, the ethanolic extracts of Saposhnikovia divaricata, Allium sativum and Juglans regia totally inhibited mycelial growth of E. astragali. These three extracts also significantly inhibited spore germination of E. astragali, with inhibition rates ranging from 86% to 88%. In addition, the same extract from the same plant part indicated the strongest antifungal activity against E. astragali, with a minimal inhibitory concentration value of 50 mg mL–1. These results demonstrate that plant-derived products have a high potential to control yellow dwarf and root-rot disease in standing milkvetch.

Modern Trends in the In Vitro Production and Use of Callus, Suspension Cells and Root Cultures of Medicinal Plants

“…Anthraquinones, various phenolic compounds and coumarin glycosides are extracted from the hairy roots of Polygonum multiflorum [ 4 , 5 ]. The root culture of Polygonum tinctorium is a raw material for the production of the widely used indigo dye [ 5 , 6 ].…”

“…It is possible to apply hairy roots to belladonna ( Atropa belladonna ) for phytoremidation. During phytoremidation, the root culture in the presence of hydrogen peroxide purified water from phenol [ 5 ]. The role of peroxidase and hydrogen peroxide in the removal of phenol from a liquid medium with the help of the hairy roots of a number of species of the Cruciferae family is known.…”

“…Extracts of tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum ) roots, both wild type and containing transgenes encoding tomato peroxidase, were used for the successful destruction of 2,4-dichlorophenol [ 5 ]. The roots of carrots ( Daucus carota ), sweet potatoes ( Ipomoea batatas ) and Solanum aviculare accumulated large amounts of phenol and chlorophenol, purifying the culture medium from them [ 8 ].…”

“…Many, especially endemic, species have disappeared; some remain small in numbers and are under threat of extinction [ 4 ]. Their inclusion in the Russian and regional Red Lists not only increases the medical demand for substances but also the demand for effective technologies by the pharmaceutical industry, the appearance of which is impossible without systematic research on reproduction, a return to favorable habitats and the expansion of the range of rare medicinal plants [ 5 , 6 ]. Therefore, medicinal plants have to be excluded from the objects of research, although many of them are the only sources of production of medicinal substances that are practically unique in their value for the treatment of oncological, neurological, Alzheimer’s and many other diseases.…”

“…A fairly large amount of funding has been allocated for innovative research and the development of promising technologies for obtaining biologically active substances from medicinal plant species. The elite group of the most important anti-cancer plants includes ginseng ( Ginseng quinquefolium ), aralia ( Aralia elata ) and Eleutherococcus [ 5 ]. The especially high demand for these plants in the modern market for plant materials is due to their antioxidant properties and the membrane-stabilizing effect of polyphenolic compounds [ 8 ].…”