Effects of Capsicum baccatum and C. frutescens against Atta cephalotes (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and the symbiotic fungus Leucoagaricus gongylophorus

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana Lobo-Echeverri ◽  
Lina Cristina Salazar ◽  
Alejandra Hernández ◽  
Adriana Ortiz-Reyes
Keyword(s):  
Antifungal Activity ◽  
Integrated Management ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
Atta Cephalotes ◽  
Capsicum Baccatum ◽  
Symbiotic Fungus ◽  
Major Pest ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Leucoagaricus Gongylophorus

Leaf cutter ants are considered to be a major pest in the Neotropics, due to the considerable economic losses they cause by cutting large amounts of plant material to cultivate their symbiotic fungus. Their control is mainly achieved through synthetic products with adverse consequences to the environment and human health. In search for alternatives, the ethanolic extracts of leaves of Capsicum baccatum and C. frutescens (Solanaceae), were evaluated against medium size leaf cutter ant Atta cephalotes, and its symbiotic fungus Leucoagaricus gongylophorus. The results were promising as both plant extracts exhibited a combination of insecticidal and antifungal activity when evaluated at concentrations of 0.10, 0.25, and 0.50 % w/v. Thus, C. baccatum was shown to be the most promising as an insecticidal while, C. frutescens presented a better antifungal activity at high concentrations. Since secondary metabolites present in plants are responsible for their bioactivity, preliminary phytochemical tests and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GCMS) of both species were carried out. In qualitative metabolite analysis, major groups detected were alkaloids, terpenoids and phenols, which are the compounds cited with the highest frequency in the management of the leaf cutter ant. Some nuclei were confirmed by GCMS, such as caryophyllene and the alkaloid conhidrine detected in baccatum, and precursors of capsaicin in C. frutescens. In this way, both species are considered promising leads for a more efficient integrated management of the leaf cutter ants.

scholarly journals A New Imidazole Alkaloid and Other Constituents from Pilocarpus grandiflorus and their Antifungal Activity

2005 ◽  
Vol 60 (7) ◽  
pp. 787-791 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rejane C. de Souza ◽  
João B. Fernandes ◽  
Paulo C. Vieira ◽  
M. Fátima das G. F. da Silva ◽  
Marizete F. P. Godoy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phenolic Compounds ◽  
Antifungal Activity ◽  
Vanillic Acid ◽  
Syringic Acid ◽  
Atta Sexdens ◽  
Spectroscopic Evidence ◽  
Symbiotic Fungus ◽  
Atta Sexdens Rubropilosa ◽  
Leaf Cutting ◽  
Leucoagaricus Gongylophorus

The stems of Pilocarpus grandiflorus have afforded the new imidazole alkaloid 4,6-dehydro- 1,2,4,5-tetrahydro-2,5-dioxopilocarpine in addition to the 17 known compounds germanicol, β - amiryn, ocotillone, stigmast-4-en-3-one, 3β -hydroxy-stigmast-5-en-7-one, 6β -hydroxy-stigmast-4- en-3-one, β -sitosterol, scopoletin, 3-(1’,1’-dimethylallyl)-scopoletin, elisin, dictamine, 4-methoxy-2- quinolone, platydesmine, syringaresinol, syringaldehyde, syringic acid and vanillic acid. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidence. The phenolic compounds vanillic acid and syringaldehyde and the furoquinoline alkaloid platydesmine exhibited antifungal activity against Leucoagaricus gongylophorus, the symbiotic fungus of leaf-cutting ants (Atta sexdens rubropilosa).

scholarly journals Integrated Management of Tomato Whitefly Under Greenhouse Conditions

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 443
Author(s):  
Jonas A. Arnemann ◽  
Júlia G. Bevilaqua ◽  
Lauro Bernardi ◽  
Danielle O. da Rosa ◽  
Fábio A. da Encarnação ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Management ◽  
Virus Transmission ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Pest Species ◽  
Efficient Treatment ◽  
Tomato Plants ◽  
Horticultural Crops ◽  
Major Pest ◽  
Crop Cycle

The whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius, 1889) is a major pest species in many agricultural crops worldwide. Growers from the Vale do Caí region, in Southern Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul state) have been facing severe economic losses due to the increasing damages caused by this sucking insect in their horticultural crops. Small-scale farming in the Vale do Caí region relies heavily on horticulture, with many families involved in the activity and a consumer market spread throughout the whole state. Virus transmission and other damages inflicted by B. tabaci are especially harmful to tomato plants, and the managing of the pest currently demands two thirds of all chemical insecticides used in the region. While chemical control remains the main strategy for whitefly management on tomato crops, control failures and lack of updated information have led tomato growers to raise the number of sprays per crop cycle, with selection of resistant populations and harmful effects on the environment as consequent risks. The aim of this work was to evaluate chemical compounds and bioinsecticides in the control of B. tabaci nymphs and adults on tomato plants grown in two different greenhouses and under natural infestation conditions. The most efficient treatment for the control of B. tabaci adults was cyantraniliprole + lambda-cyhalothrin (50+30 g a.i. ha-1) with 64% of average control efficiency. As for nymph control, the most efficient treatment was the Embrapa formula, a bioinsecticide composed of 0.5% flaxseed oil + 0.5% neutral detergent + 0.3% sodium bicarbonate, which resulted in 72% of whitefly control in average.

Antifungal Activity Directed Toward the Cell Wall by 2-Cyclohexylidenhydrazo- 4-Phenyl-Thiazole Against Candida albicans

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 428-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nívea P. de Sá ◽  
Ana P. Pôssa ◽  
Pilar Perez ◽  
Jaqueline M.S. Ferreira ◽  
Nayara C. Fonseca ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Antifungal Activity ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Buccal Epithelial Cells ◽  
Mutant Strains ◽  
Low Toxicity ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Mic Value

<p>Background: The increasing incidence of invasive forms of candidiasis and resistance to antifungal therapy leads us to seek new and more effective antifungal compounds. </P><P> Objective: To investigate the antifungal activity and toxicity as well as to evaluate the potential targets of 2- cyclohexylidenhydrazo-4-phenyl-thiazole (CPT) in Candida albicans. </P><P> Methods: The antifungal activity of CPT against the survival of C. albicans was investigated in Caenorhabditis elegans. Additionally, we determined the effect of CPT on the inhibition of C. albicans adhesion capacity to buccal epithelial cells (BECs), the toxicity of CPT in mammalian cells, and the potential targets of CPT in C. albicans. </P><P> Results: CPT exhibited a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 0.4-1.9 µg/mL. Furthermore, CPT at high concentrations (>60 x MIC) showed no or low toxicity in HepG2 cells and <1% haemolysis in human erythrocytes. In addition, CPT decreased the adhesion capacity of yeasts to the BECs and prolonged the survival of C. elegans infected with C. albicans. Analysis of CPT-treated cells showed that their cell wall was thinner than that of untreated cells, especially the glucan layer. We found that there was a significantly lower quantity of 1,3-β-D-glucan present in CPT-treated cells than that in untreated cells. Assays performed on several mutant strains showed that the MIC value of CPT was high for its antifungal activity on yeasts with defective 1,3-β-glucan synthase. </P><P> Conclusion: In conclusion, CPT appears to target the cell wall of C. albicans, exhibits low toxicity in mammalian cells, and prolongs the survival of C. elegans infected with C. albicans.</p>

scholarly journals Development of Vernonia amygdalina Leaf Extract Emulsion Formulations in Controlling Gray Mold Disease on Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 373
Author(s):  
Siti Fairuz Yusoff ◽  
Farah Farhanah Haron ◽  
Norhayu Asib ◽  
Mahmud Tengku Muda Mohamed ◽  
Siti Izera Ismail
Keyword(s):  
Antifungal Activity ◽  
Leaf Extract ◽  
Fungicidal Activity ◽  
Disease Incidence ◽  
Gray Mold ◽  
Positive Control ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Vernonia Amygdalina ◽  
Emulsion Formulation

Postharvest fruits including tomatoes are commonly infected by gray mold disease resulting in significant economic losses in the fruit industry. Therefore, this study aimed to develop botanical fungicide derived from Vernonia amygdalina leaf extract to control gray mold on tomato. The emulsion formulation containing surfactant, oil carrier and water was optimized at different non-ionic alkyl polyglucoside surfactants through eleven combinations of oil to surfactant ratio (0:10, 1:9, 2:8, 3:7, 4:6, 5:5, 6:4, 7:3, 8:2, 9:1 and 10:0 w/w). From eight selected formulations, two formulations, F5 and F7 showed stable in storage, remarkable thermodynamic stability, smaller particle size (66.44 and 139.63 nm), highly stable in zeta potential (−32.70 and −31.70 mV), low in polydispersity index (0.41 and 0.40 PdI), low in viscosity (4.20 and 4.37 cP) and low in surface tension (27.62 and 26.41 mN/m) as compared to other formulations. In situ antifungal activity on tomato fruits showed F5 formulation had a fungicidal activity against B. cinerea with zero disease incidence and severity, whereas F7 formulation reduced 62.5% disease incidence compared to a positive control with scale 1. Based on these findings, F5 formulation exhibited pronounced antifungal activity and may contribute to the development of new and safe antifungal product against gray mold on tomato.

scholarly journals Ozone damage, detoxification and the role of isoprenoids – new impetus for integrated models

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Supriya Tiwari ◽  
Rüdiger Grote ◽  
Galina Churkina ◽  
Tim Butler
Keyword(s):  
Stomatal Conductance ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Plant Responses ◽  
Damage Scenarios ◽  
Biochemical Processes ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Defence Responses ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
The Impact

High concentrations of ozone (O3) can have significant impacts on the health and productivity of agricultural and forest ecosystems, leading to significant economic losses. In order to estimate this impact under a wide range of environmental conditions, the mechanisms of O3 impacts on physiological and biochemical processes have been intensively investigated. This includes the impact on stomatal conductance, the formation of reactive oxygen species and their effects on enzymes and membranes, as well as several induced and constitutive defence responses. This review summarises these processes, discusses their importance for O3 damage scenarios and assesses to which degree this knowledge is currently used in ecosystem models which are applied for impact analyses. We found that even in highly sophisticated models, feedbacks affecting regulation, detoxification capacity and vulnerability are generally not considered. This implies that O3 inflicted alterations in carbon and water balances cannot be sufficiently well described to cover immediate plant responses under changing environmental conditions. Therefore, we suggest conceptual models that link the depicted feedbacks to available process-based descriptions of stomatal conductance, photosynthesis and isoprenoid formation, particularly the linkage to isoprenoid models opens up new options for describing biosphere-atmosphere interactions.

Taxonomic and nomenclatural novelties in Leucoagaricus (Agaricaceae) from Brazil

Phytotaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 494 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-58
Author(s):  
CELESTE HEISECKE ◽  
JAIME ANDRÉS DUQUE BARBOSA ◽  
MARIA ALICE NEVES ◽  
ANIBAL ALVES DE CARVALHO JR
Keyword(s):  
Rio De Janeiro ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
Full Description ◽  
Symbiotic Fungus ◽  
Leaf Cutting ◽  
Morphological And Molecular Data ◽  
Leucoagaricus Gongylophorus ◽  
Pileus Surface

Leucoagaricus nzumbae sp. nov. (Agaricaceae) is described based on morphological and molecular data from Teresópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This species is characterized by the delicate small basidiomes that turn completely lilac when dried, brownish color of the pileus surface, and trichodermal elements with intracellular and parietal brown pigments of the pileus covering. A lectotype and an epitype are designated for Leucoagaricus gongylophorus, a symbiotic fungus of leaf-cutting ants. Full description, nomenclatural notes, and illustrations of fresh basidiomes in situ and of the main macro-and micromorphological features of both species are provided.

scholarly journals Risk Analysis and Management of Moored Ships in Ports

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liliana V. Pinheiro ◽  
Conceição J. E. M. Fortes ◽  
João A. Santos
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Management ◽  
Warning System ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Complete Information ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Modular System ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Sea Waves ◽  
Bad Weather ◽  
Port Areas

The risks associated with mooring of ships are a major concern for port and maritime authorities. Sea waves and extreme weather conditions can lead to excessive movements of vessels and mooring loads affecting the safety of ships, cargo, passengers, crew or port infrastructures. Normally, port activities such as ships’ approach manoeuvres and loading/unloading operations, are conditioned or suspended based solely on weather or wave forecasts, causing large economic losses. Nevertheless, it has been shown that some of the most hazardous events with moored ships happen on days with mild sea and wind conditions, being the culprit long waves and resonance phenomena. Bad weather conditions can be managed with an appropriate or reinforced mooring arrangement. A correct risk assessment must be based on the movements of the ship and on the mooring loads, taking into account all the moored ship’s system. In this paper, the development of a forecast and warning system based on the assessment of risks associated with moored ships in port areas, SWAMS ALERT, is detailed. This modular system can be scaled and adapted to any port, providing decision-makers with accurate and complete information on the behaviour of moored ships, movements and mooring loads, allowing a better planning and integrated management of port areas.

scholarly journals Quinolizidine-Based Variations and Antifungal Activity of Eight Lupinus Species Grown under Greenhouse Conditions

Molecules ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 305
Author(s):  
Willy Cely-Veloza ◽  
Diego Quiroga ◽  
Ericsson Coy-Barrera
Keyword(s):  
Antifungal Activity ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Quinolizidine Alkaloids ◽  
Mycelium Growth ◽  
Reference Information ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
The Family ◽  
External Standard

Fusarium oxysporum is an aggressive phytopathogen that affects various plant species, resulting in extensive local and global economic losses. Therefore, the search for competent alternatives is a constant pursuit. Quinolizidine alkaloids (QA) are naturally occurring compounds with diverse biological activities. The structural diversity of quinolizidines is mainly contributed by species of the family Fabaceae, particularly the genus Lupinus. This quinolizidine-based chemo diversity can be explored to find antifungals and even mixtures to address concomitant effects on F. oxysporum. Thus, the antifungal activity of quinolizidine-rich extracts (QREs) from the leaves of eight greenhouse-propagated Lupinus species was evaluated to outline promising QA mixtures against F. oxysporum. Thirteen main compounds were identified and quantified using an external standard. Quantitative analysis revealed different contents per quinolizidine depending on the Lupinus plant, ranging from 0.003 to 32.8 mg/g fresh leaves. Bioautography showed that all extracts were active at the maximum concentration (5 µg/µL). They also exhibited >50% mycelium growth inhibition. All QREs were fungistatic except for the fungicidal QRE of L. polyphyllus Lindl. Angustifoline, matrine, 13α-hydroxylupanine, and 17-oxolupanine were ranked to act jointly against the phytopathogen. Our findings constitute reference information to better understand the antifungal activity of naturally afforded QA mixtures from these globally important plants.

scholarly journals Antifungal Activity and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometric Characterization of Aqueous Extracts of Acacia senegal and Acacia tortilis on Phytopathogenic Fungi

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Al-Otibi Fatimah
Keyword(s):  
Fourier Transform ◽  
Antifungal Activity ◽  
Functional Groups ◽  
Aqueous Extract ◽  
Phytopathogenic Fungi ◽  
Aqueous Extracts ◽  
Acacia Tortilis ◽  
Acacia Senegal ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Scanning Electron

Objective: To evaluate the in vitro antifungal activity of aqueous extracts of Acacia senegal (A. senegal) and Acacia tortilis (A. tortilis) against three phytopathogenic fungi (viz., Alternaria alternata [A. alternata], Helminthosporium rostratum [H. rostratum] and Fusarium solani [F. solani]). Methods: Crude aqueous extracts of A. senegal and A. tortilis at 1%, 2.5% and 5% concentrations were used for screening. Antifungal activities of the extracts were evaluated against three phytopathogenic fungal strains (A. alternata, H. rostratum and F. solani) by poisoned food technique. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the treated and untreated mycelia was employed to analyze the ultrastructural changes and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry analysis was performed to identify important functional groups. Results: Aqueous extract of A. tortilis at high concentrations exhibited moderate inhibitory activity against the selected fungal strains. The aqueous extract of A. senegal showed no effect on A. alternata, while exhibited very mild activity against H. rostratum and F. solani at high concentrations (2.5% and 5%). Scanning electron microphotographs of the untreated fungal cells showed no structural changes (well‒defined mycelium and conidia without any distortion), whereas the treated cells showed structural distortions, twisted and wrecked mycelia and showed the presence of vesicles on the surface. FTIR analysis showed the presence of important functional groups such as alcohols, carboxylic acids and aromatic compounds. Conclusion: Results from this study indicate that the aqueous extracts of both A. senegal and A. tortilis have the potential to be used as natural fungicidal agents in the management of diseases caused by plant pathogenic fungi.

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