Anacardiaceae from northwestern Argentina: antifungal potential on Fusarium species

Abstract

Fusarium species reduce maize and wheat yields and contaminate grains with mycotoxins. Anacardiaceae are a potential source of antifungals for Fusarium control. The aim of this work was to identify leaf extracts and their constituents useful for control of F. graminearum and F. verticillioides. Leaves of Schinus (S. molle, S. fasciculatus, S. gracilipes) and Schinopsis (S. lorentzii, S. haenkeana) were extracted with dichloromethane(CH2CL2),ethyl acetate(AcEt) and methanol(MeOH). Extracts were evaporated to dryness, suspended in 50 ml of MeOH and filtered. The methanolic filtrates FmCH2CL2, FmAcEt and FmMeOH were assayed by agar diffusion and broth microdilution methods. MID and IC50 were determined. Their constituents were separated by thin layer chromatography (TLC). The lowest DIMs were obtained for FmCH2CL2 and FmAcEt of Schinopsis species on F. graminearum. The FmCH2Cl2 and FmAcEt of S. fasciculatus, S. gracilipes, S. haenkeana and S. lorentzii on F. graminearum and FmCH2Cl2 of Schinopsis lorentzii on F. verticillioides showed IC50s between 125 and 400 µg/ml. TLC indicated terpenoids and alkylcatechols in FmAcEt and FmCH2Cl2 of Schinopsis species. These extracts were the most active on Fusarium. However, F. graminearum was the most sensitive. The separation of the bioactive constituents is in progress.