Identification and use of a wild plant with antimicrobial activity against Ralstonia solanacearum, the cause of bacterial wilt of potato

Fresh aerial tissue and roots of 14 wild plants in Okinawa prefecture were investigated for their antimicrobial activity against Ralstonia solanacearum , which causes bacterial wilt of potato. A 70% aqueous ethanol extract of fresh aerial tissue of Geranium carolinianum L. showed strong antimicrobial activity against R. solanacearum . This extract also showed antimicrobial activity against the pathogens causing common scab of potato and soil rot of sweet potato. The antimicrobial substance could be extracted with hot water, and was effective against R. solanacearum in soil. In the field test, a treatment combining incorporation of dried aerial tissue into the soil and solarization was highly effective for control of bacterial wilt of potato. These findings suggest that G. carolinianum L. could be used as a biological agent for the control of bacterial wilt of potato.     

Control of soil rot of sweet potato by the incorporation of the fresh aerial tissue of Geranium carolinianum L. into the soil

In a previous study, we found that a 70% aqueous ethanol extract of the fresh aerial tissue of Geranium carolinianum L. showed antimicrobial activity against the pathogen causing soil rot of sweet potato. As the appropriate time for cultivation of sweet potato and the growing period of G. carolinianum do not overlap in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, the fresh aerial tissue is available in order to control soil rot of sweet potato. Thus, we examined the control effect of fresh aerial tissue against soil rot of sweet potato. The various trials (a single repetition of 20 m²) were performed in fields that had undergone 8 years of continuous cropping of sweet potato at Okinawa Prefectural Agricultural Experiment Station, Horticultural branch. After harvest, when the disease severity was evaluated by determining the necrotic area of the storage root, the incorporation of fresh aerial tissue (5000 kg 1000 m^-2) into the soil was considered to be highly effective, with a protective value of 75.4. This result shows that G. carolinianum could be used as a biological agent for the control of soil rot of sweet potato.     

Identification and activity of ethyl gallate as an antimicrobial compound produced by Geranium carolinianum

We isolated an antimicrobial compound from the aerial tissue of Geranium carolinianum and identified it as ethyl 3, 4, 5-trihydroxy benzoate (ethyl gallate) by ¹H-NMR and ¹³C-NMR and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The antimicrobial activity of ethyl gallate against three potato pathogens was assayed by the paper disk method. The activity against Ralstonia solanacerum , Streptomyces scabies , and Streptomyces acidiscabies was observed at concentrations >200, >300, and >300 µg disk⁻¹, respectively. These results suggest that the antimicrobial activity of Geranium carolinianum against soil-borne plant disease pathogens is partly related to ethyl gallate.     

Purification and characterization of a nucleoplasmin-like protein from carp (Cyprinus carpio) eggs

ABSTRACT: Nucleoplasmin, first isolated from Xenopus laevis eggs, promotes nucleosome assembly. Hereby, we have purified a nucleoplasmin-like protein from carp ( Cyprinus carpio ) eggs using ion exchange and subsequent gel filtration columns. The protein was recognized by a polyclonal antiserum against Xenopus laevis nucleoplasmin and had an amino acid composition similar to other member of the nucleoplasmin family proteins. Partial amino acid sequences from the cyanogen bromide (CNBr)-cleaved fragments showed high homology with Xenopus nucleoplasmin. The protein was also found to form an oligomeric complex and to be phosphorylated. Moreover, this protein promoted sperm nuclear decondensation as well as that of nucleoplasmin from Xenopus laevis eggs. These results suggest that the fish protein isolated here is a member of nucleoplasmin family.