Abstract
The biological activity of an extract of Ruta graveolens and its allelochemicals [8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP), 5-methoxypsoralen (5-MOP) and 4-hydroxycoumarin] (previously isolated) was evaluated gainst pathogenic fungi: Fusarium solani, Pyrenochaeta lycopersici, and Trichoderma viride. In addition a rue lyophilized extract was also tested against Penicillium sp., Thielaviopsis basicola, and Verticillium dahliae. We determined that 5 g rue lyophilized extract/liter, the lowest concentration tested, inhibited the mycelial growth of P. lycopersici and V. dahliae by 63.6% and 47%, respectively, with IC50 (the concentration required to inhibit growth 50%) values of 4.16 and 6.5 g/liter, respectively. Moreover, the rue lyophilized extract was shown to reduce radial growth of all six fungal species significantly at concentrations ranging from 5.0 to 40.0 g/liter. Mycelial growth of Penicillium sp. was promoted at 5.0 g lyophilized rue extract/liter and inhibited at higher concentrations. 4-OH coumarin had no effect on the growth of these fungi at concentrations ranging from 0.32 to 2.60 mg/liter, whereas 8-MOP and 5-MOP inhibited the mycelial growth of F. solani and T. viride with IC50 values of 6 mg/liter (5-MOP) and 27 mg/liter (8-MOP) for both fungi, respectively. A mixture of 5-MOP and 8-MOP, tested at 64.8 mg/liter (as they naturally occur in the crude rue extract) significantly inhibited the growth of all tested fungal species. These results suggest potential role for the rue extract and its allelochemicals in controlling pathogenic fungal infections.
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Oliva, A., Lahoz, E., Contillo, R. et al. Fungistatic Activity of Ruta graveolens Extract and Its Allelochemicals. J Chem Ecol 25, 519–526 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020949703205
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020949703205