Selection of electron-deficient substances as antifungal candidates

Abstract

In previous work, a new class of synthesized bioactive compounds of Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts (MBH) showed an antioxidant and anti melanogensis activity [17][18][19][20][21][22][23]. Accordingly, in the present work the relationship between antifungal activity and the responsible chemical function of MBH adducts and their derivatives (alcohols, acetates, phosphonates and hydrazono phosphonates) was investigated against plant pathogenic fungi Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium occitanis, Trichoderma reesei, Stachybotrys microspora, Fusarium solani, Trichoderma parceramosum, fusarium aethiopicum, Alternaria alternata and Aspergillus avus using the agar diffusion method. Results showed acetates displayed varying degrees of antifungal activity against several fungi tested, while just one alcohol compound showed lower activity. The derivative with ve carbon (2g) was the most powerful with an inhibitor growth zone diameter of 4.75 ÷ 0.