The bacterial composition of the chicory rhizosphere (Cichorium intybus L. var. foliosum Hegi) was examined at four different growth stages in the field and also after 1 month storage of the roots. Based on protein fingerprints (SDS – polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of total cell proteins) 233 isolates were grouped into 117 different groups. Forty percent of the isolates belonged to one of three groups: CH001, CH002, or CH213. Fingerprint type CH001 and CH002 were comprised of fluorescent pseudomonads. Fingerprint type CH213 was identified as Alcaligenes paradoxus. Fingerprint type CH213 strains, normally isolated early in the growing season, were inhibited in vitro by fingerprint type CH001 strains which appeared later in the growing season. Gram-negative isolates were predominant among the remaining fingerprint types: Pseudomonas paucimobilis, Xanthomonas maltophilia, Agrobacterium radiobacter, and Flavobacterium spp. A few Gram-positive isolates were found at the beginning of the growing season, i.e., Bacillus spp. and Streptomyces spp. The production of antifungal compounds was restricted to the 11 isolates among which were fluorescent Pseudomonas and Bacillus spp. Twenty-four fluorescent pseudomonad isolates from the rhizosphere were pathogenic on chicory leaves.
Antioxidant, Hepatoprotective and In vitro Cytotoxic Activities of Cichorium intybus L. Extract
