ANTIFUNGAL ACTION OF DIMETHYL SULFOXIDE TOWARDS PLANT PATHOGENIC FUNGIES
Keywords:
dimethyl sulfoxide, DMSO, Monilia fructigena, Unicinula necator, Erysiphe graminisAbstract
In vitrotests for antifungal activity with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was conducted towards three widely spread and damaging plant parasitic fungus Monilinia fructigenacausing brown rot of fruit on orchard plants mostly on cherries and sour cherries and other pome fruit cultures, Erysiphe necator (Uncinula necator) and Blumeria graminis (Erysiphe graminis) casing powdery mildews on grapes and wheat. All plant pathogens were from Ascomycota division and cause seriously damages annually on infected plant cultures. The in vitro tests were conducted by three different methods: Conidial Tests (Germ tube inhibition tests) for establishing the possibility of inhibition conidia spores of Monilinia fructigena; a radial growth mycelium assays for establishing mycelia growth inhibition of Monilinia fructigenaand leaf disks in vitro tests for Unicinula necator and Erysiphe graminis. Results confirm the antifungal action of DMSO towards some plant pathogens particularity – towards Monilinia fructigena. The chemical was able fully to block the mycelium of Monilinia fructigena at 1 % concentration (v/v). Below this concentration, the action of DMSO rapidly decrease and at 0.5 % (v/v) concentration this chemical do not express and antifungal activity towards this plant pathogen in mycelium inhibition radial growth assays. However, in the conducted in vitro tests for inhibition of germination of conidia spores of Monilinia fructigena, DMSO even slightly stimulate spore germination, which strongly limited application of this compound as a cheap, low toxic fungicide against of Monilinia fructigena. DMSO does not express any antifungal activity against tested powdery mildews of Unicinula necator and Erysiphe graminis infested grapes and wheat. The same fungicidal action of DMSO was established towards Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium graminearum and Aspergillus parasiticus in the other studies. The present research confirm this. In all cases of established fungicidal action of DMSO, inhibited plant paratactic fungus from this compound was from division of Ascomycota. Although other research shows that DMSO can inhibit spores germination of Tilletia laevis and Fusarium graminearum, the present study shows that towards Monilinia fructigena was the opposite – DMSO even stimulate the germination of conidiospores
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