Anti-phytopathogen potential of deterpenes from plants

• Grant number: 11/08684-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2011
• End date: August 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Suraia Said
• Grantee: Suraia Said
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Sergio Ricardo Ambrosio

Abstract

The world agricultural production has phytosanitary troubles caused by phytopathogens including fungi. Chemistry products are used to control diseases provoked by these microorganisms but endanger the environment. The general propose of the project is to test different diterpenes from plants to determine if they inhibit or prevent the growth of fungi which infect and damage many important agricultural products as well as to determine the action mechanism of them on the fungi. Specific objectives: 1) Screening diterpenes already isolated and identified, and others that are being isolated, which present activity against many phytopathogen fungi as: Fusarium oxysporum (tomato, black pepper), Fusarium verticillioides (corn), Alternaria alternata (tomato), Botrytis cinerea (grape, strawberry, tomato, soy, etc), Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (anthracnose producer in many fruits). 2) Identifying other diterpenes from other plants and to investigate their anti-phytopathogen potential 3) Determining the action mechanisms of those compounds with anti-phytopathogen activity, through morphological analyses of their hypha, germination or nuclear division inhibition, or yet by membrane alteration which may modify the gradient of ions like calcium. (AU)