Cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus and its effect on secondary metabolism of the passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims f. flavicarpa Deg.)

• Grant number: 11/03669-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: March 01, 2012
• End date: May 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Eiras
• Grantee: Armando Toshikatsu Tomomitsu
• Host Institution: Instituto Biológico (IB). Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios (APTA). Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims f. flavicarpa Deg.), apart from being consumed as fresh fruits and used in the production of concentrated juice, is known in folk medicine by their pharmacological properties. Many of these properties are determined by specific secondary metabolites such as alkaloids and flavonoids. The "woodiness disease", induced by Cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus (CABMV), is the most important viral disease affecting this crop in Brazil, and has led producers to migrate to new regions or to abandon its cultivation. CABMV induces fruit woodiness, preventing its commercialization, causing loss of production and economic losses. The non-availability of resistant varieties has raised the possibility of further crop management tactics, especially taking into account of living with the disease in the field. There are no published studies that address the influence of viral infection on secondary metabolites of passion fruit and few papers on the effect of these compounds in other virus vs. host plants systems. Therefore, due to the few published studies and lack of information about the influence of viral infection in the production of secondary metabolites, this project aims to: (i) evaluate the influence of CABMV on the secondary metabolism of yellow passion fruit, with the extraction and analysis of flavonoids and alkaloids from leaves; and (ii) identify and characterize the CABMV isolate and determine its highest concentration in yellow passion fruit. The development of the project also has as its goal to generate knowledge of the viability of the culture of passion fruit for the commercial exploitation of active pharmaceutical principles, from the leaves, even after the entry of virus into the production system. (AU)