Chitosan induces delayed grapevine defense mechanisms and protects grapevine against Botrytis cinerea

Abstract

In the present study, a commercial chitosan soluble in acid solution and obtained from shrimp shell waste, with a molecular weight of 173 kDa and a degree of acetylation of 17%, named as chitosan (173/17), was investigated. Chitosan is a well-known biopolymer whose antimicrobial properties are highly influenced by the molecular weight, degree of acetylation as well as the preparation and derivatization methods used. Chitosan (173/17) was applied on grapevine leaves before Botrytis cinerea inoculation to verify its effectiveness as a preventive treatment against the fungal infection. The expression of a set of defense marker genes, as well as accumulation of stilbene phytoalexins, was investigated. Thanks to its fungistatic and filmogenic properties, chitosan (173/17) protected grapevine leaves against B. cinerea. Moreover, it induced grapevine defense response: three days after the treatment an induction of the jasmonic acid and ethylene-mediated response, a repression of the salicylic acid-mediated signaling, and a transient accumulation of trans-resveratrol were registered. Our data indicate that chitosan (173/17), when used in preventive application, is able to protect grapevine against B. cinerea infection. The effectiveness of chitosan (173/17) as a natural ecofriendly product for the control of B. cinerea on grapevine was demonstrated.

Chitosan application towards the improvement of grapevine performance and wine quality

“…'Chardonnay' leaves and bunch rot in commercial wine grapes (Reglinski et al, 2010). De Bona et al (2021) confirmed the fungistatic and filmogenic properties of chitosan in potted plants. During the first days after treatment, chitosan acted as a physical barrier to fungal attack and inhibited its growth.…”

Enhanced Bioactivity of Pomegranate Peel Extract following Controlled Release from CaCO3 Nanocrystals

“…This suggests that dosages, number of applications, and investigated strains play a crucial role in nanomaterials interactions with fungal cells. Chitosan solution has also showed good antimicrobial and filmogenic properties protecting from B. cinerea infection through specific defence mechanisms [ 81 , 82 ]. In fact, the value of mycelial growth in nanoCaCO 3 @PAE 36.0 mm was much higher than 17.0 recorded in nanoCaCO 3 @PAE@CH.…”

Global Transcriptome Analysis of the Peach (Prunus persica) in the Interaction System of Fruit–Chitosan–Monilinia fructicola

“…Particularly, brown rot caused by the necrotrophic fungus M. fructicola is a major disease for peach fruit [ 24 ]. Natural resistance inducers have been proposed as an alternative and innovative approach for efficient disease control in crops [ 27 ]. Among them, chitosan, a versatile compound, is known, even at very low concentrations, to show direct antifungal activity and trigger, as a non-microbial elicitor, the defense mechanisms in plants that are challenged by pathogens [ 11 , 24 , 25 ].…”