Biochemical Characterization, Antifungal Activity, and Relative Gene Expression of Two Mentha Essential Oils Controlling Fusarium oxysporum, the Causal Agent of Lycopersicon esculentum Root Rot

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is important food in daily human diets. Root rot disease by Fusarium oxysporum caused huge losses in tomato quality and yield annually. The extensive use of synthetic and chemical fungicides has environmental risks and health problems. Recent studies have pointed out the use of medicinal plant essential oils (EOs) and extracts for controlling fungal diseases. In the current research, Mentha spicata and Mentha longifolia EOs were used in different concentrations to control F. oxysporum. Many active compounds are present in these two EOs such as: thymol, adapic acid, menthol and menthyl acetate. These compounds possess antifungal effect through malformation and degradation of the fungal cell wall. The relative expression levels of distinctly upregulated defense-related WRKY genes (WRKY1, WRKY4, WRKY33 and WRKY53) in seedling root were evaluated as a plant-specific transcription factor (TF) group in different response pathways of abiotic stress. Results showed significant expression levels of WRKY, WRKY53, WRKY33, WRKY1 and WRKY4 genes. An upregulation was observed in defense-related genes such as chitinase and defensin in roots by application EOs under pathogen condition. In conclusion, M. spicata and M. longifolia EOs can be used effectively to control this plant pathogen as sustainable and eco-friendly botanical fungicides.

Hypoglycemic Effect of Lycopersicon esculentum (Tomato) on Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats

Diabetes mellitus has been a key degenerative disease affecting the world’s population. Lycopersicon esculentum (Tomato), a fruit consumed by many and known to have certain phytochemicals was used to determine its hypoglycemic effect on alloxan induced diabetic rats. The tomato was dried, pulverized and dissolved in distilled water and administered orally to albino rats in various concentrations according to their body weight. 30 albino rats were divided into 6 groups of 5 rats each. Groups I and II served as normal and diabetic control respectively, while groups III to VI were induced with diabetes and treated with different concentrations of the prepared tomato. After 14 days of treatment with various concentrations of tomato, there was a marked decrease in blood sugar levels at all the study concentrations. The result of the lipid profile a significant increase (p<0.05) in total cholesterol (150.67±7.02 mg/dL), triglyceride (159.33±5.03 mg/dL), LDL-Cholesterol (77.53±1.83 mg/dL) and a decrease in HCL-Cholesterol (51.67±1.00 mg/dL) levels in untreated diabetic rats when compared to the normal control. Upon treatment with 200 mg/kg of tomato, there was a significant decrease (p< 0.05) in the levels of Triglyceride, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol and an increase in the HDL-cholesterol. These results suggest that tomato may have the ability to reduce blood sugar level and the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Biocontrol of Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid causing charcoal rot disease in Lycopersicon esculentum L. by using multi species bacterial consortia

Plant growth-promoting bacterial strains (LEP1-LEP31) were isolated from rhizosphere of Lycopersicon esculentum L. (Tomato) and screened for their plant growth promoting (PGP) activities. On the basis of morphological, physiological, biochemical, carbon source utilization and molecular characterization, these strains were identified as Pseudomonas sp., Azotobacter sp. and Bacillus sp. For antagonistic activities all the strains were subject to the chitinase activities by the development of clear halo around the inoculated bacterial spots when loaded on chitin (0.2%) supplemented mediumBased on pot and field trial results of individual strains and consortium application, it may be concluded that all the three strains i.e. Pseudomonas sp. LEP17, Azotobacter sp. strain LEP21 and Bacillus sp. strain LEP25 showed plant growth promoting effects. The growth promotion provided by these strains was apparently related to improve shoot and root development, which resulted in better nutrient uptake capability and suppression of plant pathogen. All these three strains were superior in this regard because they provided the best and most consistent effects on growth and yield of L. esculentum. All these strains Pseudomonas sp. LEP17, Azotobacter sp. strain LEP21, Bacillus sp. strain LEP25 and their consortium seems to be suitable for use as a plant growth promoting and improvement of growth and yield

Preliminary test: Evaluation and selection of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) varieties resistant to drought and powdery mildew

Powdery mildew (Leveillula taurica) and (Oidium neolycopersici) are two harmful fungi that invade the tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) plant and grow in dry conditions. Under the influence of polyethylene glycol 6000 at a concentration of 12%, the total seedlings fresh weight, total seedlings dry weight, seedling growth rate of one seedling, seedling length, and tissue water content percentage for three tomato varieties were assessed. Despite the superiority of the (Mobil) tomato variety in terms of numerical values, the results revealed no significant differences between varieties. As a result, (Mobil) has greater vigor under environmental drought stress of lower osmotic stress than other tomato varieties. More work is required to evaluate the research selection of varieties resistant to biotic stresses in dry areas, such as powdery mildew disease.

Alelopatski potencijal lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) na klijavost sjemena i rast klijanaca povrća

Cilj istraživanja bio je utvrditi alelopatski potencijal lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) na klijavost sjemena i rast klijanaca rotkvice (Raphanus sativus L.), radiča (Cichorium intybus L. var. foliosum) i rajčice (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). Vodeni ekstrakti pripremljeni od suhe nadzemne mase lucerne u tri koncentracije (1 %, 2,5 % i 5 %) testirani su u laboratorijskim uvjetima. Alelopatski potencijal lucerne ovisio je o test vrsti, koncentraciji vodenog ekstrakta te mjerenom parametru. Najslabije djelovanje zabilježeno je na klijavost te rast klijanaca rajčice. Povećanjem koncentracije vodenog ekstrakta povećavao se i negativni alelopatski potencijal. Najmanji utjecaj vodenih ekstrakata zabilježen je na suhu masu klijanaca test vrsta.