ABSTRACT Botrytis blight (gray mold), caused by Botrytis cinerea, is one of the most widely distributed diseases of ornamental plants. In geranium plants, gray mold is responsible for important losses in production. The mold Aspergillus giganteus is known to produce and secrete a basic low-molecular-weight protein, the antifungal protein (AFP). Here, the antifungal properties of the Aspergillus AFP against various B. cinerea isolates obtained from naturally infected geranium plants were investigated. AFP strongly inhibited mycelial growth as well as conidial germination of B. cinerea. Microscopic observations of fungal cultures treated with AFP revealed reduced hyphal elongation and swollen hyphal tips. Washout experiments in which B. cinerea was incubated with AFP for different periods of time and then washed away revealed a fungicidal activity of AFP. Application of AFP on geranium plants protected leaves against Botrytis infection. Cecropin A also was active against this pathogen. An additive effect against the fungus was observed when AFP was combined with cecropin A. These results are discussed in relation to the potential of the afp gene to enhance crop protection against B. cinerea diseases.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO.2003.93.11.1344 | DOI Listing |
BMC Plant Biol
January 2025
Department of Integrative Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 15551, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
This study investigated the effects of non-thermal atmospheric plasma (NTAP) treatment on the growth, chemical composition, and biological activity of geranium (Pelargonium graveolens L'Herit) leaves. NTAP was applied at a frequency of 13.56 MHz, exposure time of 15 s, discharge temperature of 25 °C, and power levels (T1 = 50, T2 = 80, and T3 = 120 W).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPharmaceuticals (Basel)
January 2025
Clinic Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Faculty of Medicine, Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.
Background/objectives: Côa Valley, located in the northeast of Portugal, harbors more than 500 medicinal plant species. Among them, four species stand out due to their traditional uses: Desf. (hemorrhages, urethritis, hepatitis), L.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMolecules
January 2025
Department of Medical Environmental Biology and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea.
This study investigates the antimalarial potential of extracts and compounds from various plants used in traditional Korean medicine, in response to the increasing resistance of to standard treatments such as chloroquine and artemisinin. The antimalarial activity screening was conducted on 151 extracts, identifying the top seven candidates, including (50% ethanol and 100% methanol extract), , (hot water and 50% ethanol extract), , and . Among these, was identified as the top priority for further analysis due to its high antimalarial activity and high yield of bioactive compounds.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFToxins (Basel)
December 2024
Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 118 55 Athens, Greece.
is considered one of the main fungi responsible for black and sour rot in grapes, as well as the production of the carcinogenic mycotoxin ochratoxin A. The global regulatory methyltransferase protein controls the production of various secondary metabolites in species, as well as influences sexual and asexual reproduction and morphology. The goal of this study was to investigate the role of the regulatory gene in physiology, virulence, and ochratoxin A (OTA) production by deleting this gene from the genome of a wild-type strain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Plant Biol
January 2025
Department of Plant Production and Genetic (Biotechnology), Faculty of Agriculture, Jahrom University, Jahrom, Iran.
Background: Geraniums (Pelargonium) are among the most popular flowers worldwide. Viral infection is one of the main problems of the genus Pelargonium, and the production of virus-free mother plants is necessary for large-scale geranium propagation and exchange. Meristem culture and thermotherapy are two effective procedures that have been widely adopted to produce healthy virus-free plant stocks.
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