Natural Compounds That Modulate the Development of the Fungus Botrytis cinerea and Protect Solanum lycopersicum

Abstract

Botrytis cinerea is the causal agent of gray mold disease and is responsible for the loss of millions of dollars in crops in worldwide. Currently, this pathogen exhibits increasing resistance to conventional fungicides; therefore, better control methods and novel compounds with a more specific mechanism of action but without biocidal effects, are required. In this work, several natural compounds to control B. cinerea were analyzed in vitro. Detected effects were dependent on the stage of fungus development, and 3-phenyl-1-propanol displayed the most potent inhibition of in vitro germination, germ tube development, and sporulation. However, it had lower protection of leaves and postharvest fruit in plant infection. Isoeugenol and 1-phenylethanol exhibited lower inhibition of in vitro germination and sporulation, but at the highest concentrations, they inhibited germ tube elongation. Although the lowest rates of foliage infection were recorded using isoeugenol and 3-phenyl-1-propanol, 1-phenylethanol significantly decreased the disease in postharvest tomato fruit, with an efficacy like Mancozeb, but at 18 times lower micromolar concentration. All compounds resulted in high cell viability after spores were removed from the treatment solution exhibited high cell viability, suggesting a non-biocidal effect. The diversity of in vitro and in-plant effects seems to indicate a different mechanism of action.

Solution Structure, Dynamics, and New Antifungal Aspects of the Cysteine-Rich Miniprotein PAFC

“…One of the hosts is the tomato plant ( Solanum lysopersicum ), an important and widely used agricultural crop. So far, infection control was managed by chemical fungicides [ 56 ], which, in itself, proves to be a problem due to residues in tomato fruits and the risk of toxicity for consumers [ 57 , 58 ]. Additionally, recent evidence showed that B. cinerea has already acquired resistance to many of the commonly used fungicides [ 59 ].…”

The Search for Quorum Sensing in Botrytis cinerea: Regulatory Activity of Its Extracts on Its Development

“…In the search for new methods to control B. cinerea, we previously evaluated the effect of several compounds on its growth. The results suggested a modulatory mechanism mediated by QS [12], which is a microbial communication mechanism extensively studied in bacteria, although it has now been reported in some yeasts and filamentous fungi [5]. Fungal development shows behavior with a high resemblance to the QS of bacteria, as they undergo a process of colonization, followed by pathogenesis, then there is virulence through the synthesis of toxins among other compounds, and finally, there is resistance by sporulation and the formation of a biofilm.…”

Antifungal Activity and Phytochemical Screening of Vernonia amygdalina Extract against Botrytis cinerea Causing Gray Mold Disease on Tomato Fruits

“…The disease severity was evaluated based on scale 0 to 4 as described by Rosero-Hernández et al [ 23 ] using the following scale: 0 = no visible symptoms of fruits (no infection); 1 = 1–25% inoculated area covered with slight necrotic and water-soaked lesion (mild infection); 2 = 26–50% of the inoculated area covered with necrotic, white to gray mycelia and water-soaked lesion (moderate infection); 3 = 51–75% of fruits are necrotic with spore mass appeared and water-soaked (severe infection); 4 = >76% necrotic tissue appears soft, watery and decayed (very severe).…”