The antifungal activity of widdrol and its biotransformation by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (penz.) Penz. & Sacc. and Botrytis cinerea Pers.: Fr

Widdrol (1) was tested against the necrotrophic plant pathogens Botrytis cinerea and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. While 1 was found to be inactive against C. gloeosporioides, it showed a selective and effective control of B. cinerea, significantly inhibiting the mycelial growth of the fungus at concentrations of 100 ppm and above. In addition, the biotransformation of 1 by both fungi was studied. Incubation with C. gloeosporioides and B. cinerea afforded four and one biotransformation products (2-6), respectively. Biotransformation with C. gloeosporioides was highly regioselective, yielding for the most part oxidation products at C-10: 10-oxowiddrol (2), 10beta-hydroxywiddrol (3), 10alpha-hydroxywiddrol (4), and 14alpha-hydroxywiddrol (5). The structures of all products were determined on the basis of their spectroscopic data, including coupling constants, two-dimensional NMR analysis (heteronuclear multiple quantum coherence, heteronuclear multiple bond correlation, and nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy), and nuclear Overhauser effect. The biotransformation products were then tested against B. cinerea and found to be inactive. These results shed further light on the structural modifications, which may be necessary to develop selective fungal control agents against B. cinerea.     

Metabolites of the fungistatic agent 2β-methoxyclovan-9α-ol by Macrophomina phaseolina

Biotransformation of 2β-methoxyclovan-9α-ol (1), a fungistatic agent against Botrytis cinerea, was investigated with Macrophomina phaseolina. Demethoxylation, regioselective oxidation at C-9 and C-13, and inversion of the configuration at C-9 of compound 1 afforded six oxidative metabolites, 2β-methoxyclovan-9-one (2), clovan-2β,9β-diol (3), clovan-2β,9α-diol (4), clovan-2β,13-diol-9-one (5), 2β-methoxyclovan-9α,13-diol (6), and clovan-2β,9β,13-triol (7). Compounds 5-7 are described here for the first time, and their structures were deduced by different spectroscopic techniques. The antifungal activity of new metabolites 5-7 was also evaluated against B. cinerea.     

Antifungal activity and fungal metabolism of steroidal glycosides of Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum Thunb.) by the plant pathogenic fungus, Botrytis cinerea

Botrytis cinerea Pers. Fr. is a plant pathogenic fungus and the causal organism of blossom blight of Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum Thunb.). Easter lily is a rich source of steroidal glycosides, compounds which may play a role in the plant-pathogen interaction of Easter lily. Five steroidal glycosides, including two steroidal glycoalkaloids and three furostanol saponins, were isolated from L. longiflorum and evaluated for fungal growth inhibition activity against B. cinerea, using an in vitro plate assay. All of the compounds showed fungal growth inhibition activity; however, the natural acetylation of C-6' of the terminal glucose in the steroidal glycoalkaloid, (22R,25R)-spirosol-5-en-3β-yl O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-[6-O-acetyl-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)]-β-D-glucopyranoside (2), increased antifungal activity by inhibiting the rate of metabolism of the compound by B. cinerea. Acetylation of the glycoalkaloid may be a plant defense response to the evolution of detoxifying mechanisms by the pathogen. The biotransformation of the steroidal glycoalkaloids by B. cinerea led to the isolation and characterization of several fungal metabolites. The fungal metabolites that were generated in the model system were also identified in Easter lily tissues infected with the fungus by LC-MS. In addition, a steroidal glycoalkaloid, (22R,25R)-spirosol-5-en-3β-yl O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-glucopyranoside (6), was identified as both a fungal metabolite of the steroidal glycoalkaloids and as a natural product in L. longiflorum for the first time.     

Synthesis and Inhibitory Activities against Colon Cancer Cell Growth and Proteasome of Alkylresorcinols

We have identified alkylresorcinols (ARs) as the major active components in wheat bran against human colon cancer cell growth (HCT-116 and HT-29) using a bioassay-guided approach. To further study the structure-activity relationships, 15 ARs and their intermediates (1-15) were synthesized expediently by the modified Wittig reaction in aqueous media, and six 5-alkylpyrogallols and their analogues (16-21) were prepared by the general Grignard reaction. The synthetic AR analogues were evaluated for activities against the growth of human colon cancer cells HCT-116 and HT-29 and the chymotrypsin-like activity of the human 20S proteasome. Our results found that (1) AR C13:0 and C15:0 (13 and 14) had the greatest inhibitory effects in human colon cancer cells HCT-116 and HT-29, while decreasing or increasing the side chain lengths diminished the activities; (2) two free meta-hydroxyl groups at C-1 and C-3 on the aromatic ring of the AR analogues greatly contributed to their antitumor activity; (3) the introduction of a third hydroxyl group at C-2 (20 and 21) into the aromatic ring of the AR analogues yielded no significant enhancement in activity against HCT-116 cells and decimated the effects against HT-29 cells, but dramatically increased the activity against the chymotrypsin-like activity of the human 20S proteasome; and (4) AR C11:0 (12) was found to have the greatest effect in a series of AR C9:0-C17:0 against the chymotrypsin-like activity of the human 20S proteasome.     

Isolation and identification of antifungal fatty acids from the basidiomycete Gomphus floccosus

Bioautography of extracts of the fruiting bodies of the basidiomycete Gomphus floccosus (Schw.) Singer indicated the presence of fungitoxic compounds in the ethyl acetate fraction against the plant pathogens Colletotrichum fragariae, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, and Colletotrichum acutatum. Bioassay-guided fractionation of this fraction resulted in the isolation of the bioactive fatty acids (9 S,10 E,12 Z)-9-hydroxy-10,12-octadecadienoic acid (1), (9 E,11 Z)-13-oxo-9,11-octadecadienoic acid (2), and (10 E,12 E)-9-oxo-10,12-octadecadienoic acid (3). These three oxylipins were further evaluated for activity against a greater range of fungal plant pathogens (C. fragariae, C. gloeosporioides, C. acutatum, Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium oxysporum, Phomopsis obscurans, and Phomopsis viticola) in in vitro dose-response studies. Phomopis species were the most sensitive fungi to these compounds. At 120 h of treatment, the IC50 values for compounds 1, 2, and 3 for P. obscurans were 1.0, 4.5, and 23 microM, respectively, as compared to 1.1 microM for the captan positive control.     

Antifungal activity and biotransformation of diisophorone by Botrytis cinerea

Diisophorone (1) was tested against two strains of the necrotrophic plant pathogen Botrytis cinerea.Fungal sensitivity varied according to the strain. B. cinera 2100 was more sensitive than B. cinereaUCA992: its mycelial growth was significantly inhibited at concentrations of 50 ppm and above. Although diisophorone (1) showed an effective control of B. cinerea, a detoxification mechanism was present. The detoxification of racemic diisophorone (1) by B. cinerea was investigated. Incubation with two strains of B. cinerea gave one and four biotransformation products (2-5), respectively. Their structures were established as the known 8beta-hydroxydiisophorone (2), 6alpha-hydroxydiisophorone (3), 6beta-hydroxydiisophorone (4) and 8beta,14beta-dihydroxydiisophorone (5) on the basis of their spectroscopic data, including two-dimensional NMR analysis [heteronuclear multiple quantum coherence (HMQC), heteronuclear multiple bond correlation (HMBC), and nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy (NOESY)] and an X-ray crystallographic study.     

Citrus limonoids and their semisynthetic derivatives as antifeedant agents against Spodoptera frugiperda larvae. A structure-activity relationship study

The antifeedant activity of Citrus-derived limonoids limonin (1), nomilin (2), and obacunone (3) and their semisynthetic derivatives 4-26 was evaluated against a commercially important pest, Spodoptera frugiperda. Simple chemical conversions were carried out on the natural limonoids obtained from seeds of Citrus limon. These conversions focused on functional groups considered to be important for the biological activity, namely the C-7 carbonyl and the furan ring. In particular, reduction at C-7 afforded the related alcohols, and from these their acetates, oximes, and methoximes were prepared. Hydrogenation of the furan ring was also performed on limonin and obacunone. The known antifeedant properties of the Citrus limonoids are confirmed. Comparison with previously reported data shows that insect species vary in their behavioral responses to these structural modifications. Highly significant antifeedant activity (P < 0.01) for two natural (1 and 3) and three semisynthetic limonoids (4, 8, and 10) was observed against S. frugiperda.     

pH modulation of zopfiellin antifungal activity to Colletotrichum and Botrytis

Zopfiellin, a novel cyclooctanoid natural product isolated from Zopfiella curvata No. 37-3, was evaluated in a 96-well microtiter assay for fungicidal activity against Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum acutatum, Colletotrichum fragariae, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, and Fusarium oxysporum. Zopfiellin exhibited pH-dependent activity, with the most mycelial growth inhibition demonstrated at pH 5.0. Mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies indicated that zopfiellin undergoes structural changes with changes in pH. At pH 5.0, zopfiellin showed the greatest activity against B. cinerea (IC(80) = 10 microM), C. gloeosporioides (IC(80) = 10 microM), and C. fragariae (IC(80) = 10 microM) and intermediate activity against C. acutatum (IC(80) = 30 microM), and was not active against F. oxysporum (IC(80) > 100 microM).     

Metabolites from Aspergillus fumigatus, an endophytic fungus associated with Melia azedarach, and their antifungal, antifeedant, and toxic activities

Thirty-nine fungal metabolites 1-39, including two new alkaloids, 12β-hydroxy-13α-methoxyverruculogen TR-2 (6) and 3-hydroxyfumiquinazoline A (16), were isolated from the fermentation broth of Aspergillus fumigatus LN-4, an endophytic fungus isolated from the stem bark of Melia azedarach. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analysis (mass spectrometry and one- and two-dimensional NMR experiments) and by comparison of their NMR data with those reported in the literature. These isolated compounds were evaluated for in vitro antifungal activities against some phytopathogenic fungi, toxicity against brine shrimps, and antifeedant activities against armyworm larvae (Mythimna separata Walker). Among them, sixteen compounds showed potent antifungal activities against phytopathogenic fungi (Botrytis cinerea, Alternaria solani, Alternaria alternata, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Fusarium solani, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum, and Gibberella saubinettii), and four of them, 12β-hydroxy-13α-methoxyverruculogen TR-2 (6), fumitremorgin B (7), verruculogen (8), and helvolic acid (39), exhibited antifungal activities with MIC values of 6.25-50 μg/mL, which were comparable to the two positive controls carbendazim and hymexazol. In addition, of eighteen that exerted moderate lethality toward brine shrimps, compounds 7 and 8 both showed significant toxicities with median lethal concentration (LC(50)) values of 13.6 and 15.8 μg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, among nine metabolites that were found to possess antifeedant activity against armyworm larvae, compounds 7 and 8 gave the best activity with antifeedant indexes (AFI) of 50.0% and 55.0%, respectively. Structure-activity relationships of the metabolites were also discussed.     

Synthesis and insecticidal activity of some novel fraxinellone-based esters

In continuation of a program aimed at the discovery and development of natural products-based insecticidal agents, two series of novel fraxinellone-based esters were synthesized by modification at the C-4 or C-10 position of fraxinellone and evaluated for their insecticidal activity against the pre-third-instar larvae of Mythimna separata in vivo. An efficient method for the stereoselective synthesis of 4α-hydroxyfraxinellone from fraxinellonone was developed, and the steric configuration of 6h was unambiguously confirmed by X-ray crystallography. Among 37 compounds, some derivatives displayed potent insecticidal activity; especially compounds 6h, 6q, 6t, and 7q showed more promising insecticidal activity than toosendanin, a commercial botanical insecticide derived from Melia azedarach . This suggested that introduction of the fluorine atom on the phenyl ring could lead to a more potent compound than one possessing chlorine or bromine. Meanwhile, introduction of the heterocyclic fragments at the C-4 or C-10 position of fraxinellone was essential for their insecticidal activity. This will pave the way for further design, structural modification, and development of fraxinellone as an insecticidal agent.     

Insecticidal activity of Paraherquamides, including paraherquamide H and paraherquamide I, two new alkaloids isolated from Penicillium cluniae

Paraherquamide H (1) and paraherquamide I (2), two new compounds of the paraherquamide (PHQ) family, together with the already known paraherquamide A (3), paraherquamide B (4), paraherquamide E (5), VM55596 (N-oxide paraherquamide) (6), paraherquamide VM55597 (7), and five known diketopiperazines (8-12) have been isolated from the culture broth of Penicillium cluniae Quintanilla. The structure of 1 and 2, on the basis of NMR and MS analysis, was established. It is worth noticing that, in both cases, an unusual oxidative substitution in C-16 was found, which had only previously been detected in PHQ 7. Isolated compounds were tested for insecticidal activity against the hemipteran Oncopeltus fasciatus Dallas. Mortality data have allowed preliminary structure activity relationships to be proposed. The most potent product was 5 with a LD(50) of 0.089 microg/nymph.     

Isolation of cholinesterase-inhibiting flavonoids from Morus lhou

Cholinesterases are key enzymes that play important roles in cholinergic transmission. Nine flavonoids displaying cholinesterase inhibitory activity were isolated from the root bark of Morus lhou L., a cultivated edible plant. The isolated compounds were identified as a new flavone (1), 5'-geranyl-5,7,2',4'-tetrahydroxyflavone (2), kuwanon U (3), kuwanon E (4), morusin (5), morusinol (6), cyclomorusin (7), neocyclomorusin (8), and kuwanon C (9). All compounds apart from compound 6 inhibited cholinesterase enzyme in a dose-dependent manner with K(i) values ranging between 3.1 and 37.5 μM and between 1.7 and 19.1 μM against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) enzymes, respectively. The new compound was charactierized as 5'-geranyl-4'-methoxy-5,7,2'-trihydroxyflavone (1). It showed the most potent inhibitory activity (K(i) = 3.1 μM for AChE, K(i) = 1.74 μM for BChE). Lineweaver-Burk and Dixon plots and their secondary replots indicated that flavones (5-9) with prenyl substitution on C-3 were noncompetitive inhibitors, whereas those unsubstituted (1-4) at C-3 were mixed inhibitors of both AChE and BChE. In conclusion, this is the first study to demonstrate that alkylated flavonoids of M. lhou have potent inhibitory activities against AChE and BChE.     

Anthraquinones isolated from Cassia tora (Leguminosae) seed show an antifungal property against phytopathogenic fungi

The fungicidal activities of Cassia tora extracts and their active principles were determined against Botrytis cineria, Erysiphe graminis, Phytophthora infestans, Puccinia recondita, Pyricularia grisea, and Rhizoctonia solani using a whole plant method in vivo and were compared with synthetic fungicides and three commercially available anthraquinones. The responses varied with the plant pathogen tested. At 1 g/L, the chloroform fraction of C. tora showed a strong fungicidal activity against B. cinerea, E. graminis, P. infestans, and R. solani. Emodin, physcion, and rhein were isolated from the chloroform fraction using chromatographic techniques and showed strong and moderate fungicidal activities against B. cinerea, E. graminis, P. infestans, and R. solani. Furthermore, aloe-emodin showed strong and moderate fungicidal activities against B. cinerea and R. solani, respectively, but did not inhibit the growth of E. graminis, P. infestans, P. recondita, and Py. grisea. Little or no activity was observed for anthraquinone and anthraquinone-2-carboxylic acid when tested at 1 g/L. Chlorothalonil and dichlofluanid as synthetic fungicides were active against P. infestans and B. cinerea at 0.05 g/L, respectively. Our results demonstrate the fungicidal actions of emodin, physcion, and rhein from C. tora.     

Synthesis and fungicidal activity of novel 2-oxocycloalkylsulfonylureas

A series of 2-oxocycloalkylsulfonylureas (2) have been synthesized in a six-step, three-pot reaction sequence from readily available cyclododecanone, cycloheptanone, and cyclohexanone. Their structures were confirmed by IR, 1H NMR, and elemental analysis. The bioassay indicated that some of them possess certain fungicidal activity against Gibberella zeae Petch. In general, compounds containing a 12-membered ring (2A) are more active than those containing a 6- or 7-membered ring (2B, 2C). In the series 2A, the compounds in which R is a disubstituted phenyl or pyrimidyl showed better activity than those in which R is a monosubstituted phenyl or pyrimidyl, and aryl-substituted compounds have somewhat higher activity than those substituted by pyrimidyl. The further bioassay showed that the representative of 2A, 2A15, has good fungicidal activities against not only G. zeae Petch but also Botrytis cinerea Pers, Colletotrichum orbiculare Arx, Pythium aphanidermatum Fitzp, Fusarium oxysporum Schl. f. sp. Vasinfectum, etc.     

Mycoactive acetate esters from apple fruit stimulate adhesion and germination of conidia of the gray mold fungus

Ethyl acetate, 2-methylbutyl acetate, butyl acetate (BA), and hexyl acetate were detected by solid-phase microextraction and gas-liquid chromatography inside slices of Golden Delicious apple and in water droplets on the skin of slices incubated in sealed glass jars. Conidial adhesion and germination of the gray mold fungus, Botrytis cinerea, was assessed on apple slices after exposure or no exposure to the esters in the headspaces of glass jars. Attached conidia were dislodged by sonication and remaining conidia on apple slices were counted by microscopy. Adhesion generally increased as BA increased to 7.2 microg mL(-1), but declined with greater concentrations. BA at 0-3.6 microg mL(-1) for 24 h stimulated adhesion 2-fold greater compared to that at 4 h. Adhesion stimulated by BA increased as a function of time (0-24 h), showing linear trends (r (2) = 0.99; p = 0.01) during 0-12 h. The four esters were similar in their ability to stimulate adhesion. Germination of conidia exposed to BA increased linearly (r (2) = 0.95-0.98; p = 0.01) during 4-12 h. Conidial adhesion stimulated by BA preceded conidial germination by 2 h. The four esters stimulated conidial germination to similar levels. Results indicated that acetate esters formed in apple fruit are mycoactive, influencing life-cycle events of B. cinerea important to its survival on the fruit. The similar responses of three B. cinerea isolates to four acetate esters suggests a common stimulation mechanism may operate in B. cinerea.     

Antifungal activity of thiophenes from Echinops ritro

Extracts from 30 plants of the Greek flora were evaluated for their antifungal activity using direct bioautography assays with three Colletotrichum species. Among the bioactive extracts, the dichloromethane extract of the radix of Echinops ritro (Asteraceae) was the most potent. Bioassay-guided fractionation of this extract led to the isolation of eight thiophenes. Antifungal activities of isolated compounds together with a previously isolated thiophene from Echinops transiliensis were first evaluated by bioautography and subsequently evaluated in greater detail using a broth microdilution assay against plant pathogens Colletotrichum acutatum, Colletotrichum fragariae, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium oxysporum, Phomopsis viticola, and Phomopsis obscurans. 5'-(3-Buten-1-ynyl)-2,2'-bithiophen (1), alpha-terthienyl (2), and 2-[pent-1,3-diynyl]-5-[4-hydroxybut-1-ynyl]thiophene (5) at 3 and 30 microM were active against all three Colletotrichum species, F. oxysporum, P. viticola, and P. obscurans.     

Antioxidant and cyclooxygenase activities of fatty acids found in food

Several commercially available C-8 to C-24 saturated and unsaturated fatty acids (1-29) were assayed for cyclooxygenase-I (COX-I) and cyclooxygenase-II (COX-II) inhibitory and antioxidant activities. Among the saturated fatty acids tested at 60 microg mL(-1), there was an increase in antioxidant activity with increasing chain length from octanoic acid to myristic acid (C-8-C-14) and a decrease thereafter. All unsaturated fatty acids tested at 60 microg mL(-1) showed good antioxidant activity except for undecylenic acid (12), cis-5-dodecenoic acid (13), and nervonic acid (29). The highest inhibitory activities among the saturated fatty acids tested on cyclooxygenase enzymes COX-I and COX-II were observed for decanoic acid to lauric acid (3-5) at 100 microg mL(-1). Similarly, among the unsaturated fatty acids tested, the highest activities were observed for cis-8,11,14-eicosatrienoic acid (25) and cis-13,16-docosadienoic acid (27) at 100 microg mL(-1).     

Quantitative structure-antifungal activity relationships of some benzohydrazides against Botrytis cinerea

Fourteen benzohydrazides have been synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro antifungal activity against the phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea. The best antifungal activity was observed for the N',N'-dibenzylbenzohydrazides 3b-d and for the N-aminoisoindoline-derived benzohydrazide 5. A quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) study has been developed using a topological substructural molecular design (TOPS-MODE) approach to interpret the antifungal activity of these synthetic compounds. The model described 98.3% of the experimental variance, with a standard deviation of 4.02. The influence of an ortho substituent on the conformation of the benzohydrazides was investigated by X-ray crystallography and supported by QSAR study. Several aspects of the structure-activity relationships are discussed in terms of the contribution of different bonds to the antifungal activity, thereby making the relationships between structure and biological activity more transparent.     

Synthesis, fungicidal, and insecticidal activities of beta-Methoxyacrylate-containing N-acetyl pyrazoline derivatives

1-Acetyl-3,-5-diarylpyrazolines have received considerable interests from the fields of medicinal and agricultural chemistry due to their broad spectrum of biological activities. To discover new lead compounds exhibiting both fungicidal and insecticidal activities, a series of pyrazoline derivatives were designed and synthesized by introducing the beta-methoxyacrylate pharmacophore into the scaffold of 1-acetyl-3,5-diarylpyrazoline. The fungicidal activities against Pseudoperoniospora cubensis, Sphaerotheca fuliginea, Botrytis cinerea, and Rhizoctonia solani and the insecticidal activities against Aphis medicagini, Nilaparvata legen, Mythima separata, and Tetranychus cinnabarnus were screened. The most potent compound 13, 1-aceto-3-[m-[o-(E-1-methoxycarboxyl-2-methoxy)-1-yl]benzyloxy]phenyl-5-(benzo-[1,3]-dioxolyl)-4,5-dihydro- pyrazoline, was identified. Its fungicidal IC(50) values against P. cubensis and S. fuliginea are 26.6 and 57.6 microg mL(-1), respectively, while its insecticidal LC(50) value against M. separata is 26.6 microg mL(-1). These results indicated that compound 13 could be used as a lead for further developing new pyrazoline type products exhibiting both fungicidal and insecticidal activities.     

Evidence for protein degradation by Botrytis cinerea and relationships with alteration of synthetic wine foaming properties

Botrytis cinerea is an important fungal pathogen particularly dreaded in the cool climate vineyard. It is responsible for important damage, especially the decrease in foamability of sparkling wines, such as Champagne. Different studies have shown that proteins are largely involved in the stabilization of Champagne foam despite their low concentration. Other works demonstrated changes in the electrophoretic characteristics of must proteins originating from botrytized grapes, although the cause of such alterations was never explained. In the first part of this study, results showed the release by B. cinerea of 3.5 mg/L total proteins in a synthetic liquid medium. Among these proteins, the presence of a protease activity on bovine serum albumin (BSA) and must proteins was demonstrated by using a colorimetric method and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In the model wine, the Bradford method showed a BSA loss of 66% after 24 h and a loss of 96% after 120 h. In the same model wine, the soluble must protein concentration decreased by 35% after 1 week and by 53% after 2 weeks while the control showed no protein loss. B. cinerea proteases were then able to degrade BSA and must proteins and were above all active at must and wine pH and in the presence of ethanol and SO(2). The second part of this work was dedicated to the relationship between the presence of B. cinerea proteases and its effects on the synthetic wine foaming properties. The addition of a B. cinerea culture medium (1/33 v/v) to the synthetic wine containing 21 mg/L soluble grape proteins induced a decrease in foamability by 60% after 1 week. For BSA in the model wine, the foamability decreased by 32% after 24 h and by 95% after 120 h, as shown by the colorimetric method. These experiments demonstrate for the first time the relationship between B. cinerea protease activity and the decrease in wine foaming properties.