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Herbicidal potential of ophiobolins produced by Drechslera gigantea.

Abstract
Drechslera gigantea, a potential mycoherbicide of grass weeds, was isolated in Florida from naturally infected large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis); it produces phytotoxic metabolites in liquid culture. The main metabolite was identified by spectroscopic methods and optical properties as ophiobolin A (1), a well-known phytotoxic sesterterpene produced by several phytopathogenic fungi of important crops and already extensively studied for its interesting biological activities. The other three minor metabolites proved to be related to ophiobolin A and were identified using the same techniques as 6-epi-ophiobolin A and 3-anhydro-6-epi-ophiobolin A (2 and 3) and ophiobolin I (4). Assayed on punctured detached leaves of several grass and dicotyledon weeds, ophiobolin A proved to be on average more phytotoxic as compared to the other related compounds. Some structural features appear to be important for the phytoxicity, such as the hydroxy group at C-3, the stereochemistry at C-6, and the aldehyde group at C-7. Furthermore, grass weeds usually proved to be more sensitive to the phytotoxins than dicotyledons, on which ophiobolin A caused the appearance of large necrosis even at the lowest concentration assayed. This is the first report about the production of ophiobolins from D. gigantea and of the proposed use as potential natural herbicides against grass weeds.
AuthorsAntonio Evidente, Anna Andolfi, Alessio Cimmino, Maurizio Vurro, Mariano Fracchiolla, Raghavan Charudattan
JournalJournal of agricultural and food chemistry (J Agric Food Chem) Vol. 54 Issue 5 Pg. 1779-83 (Mar 08 2006) ISSN: 0021-8561 [Print] United States
PMID16506833 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
Chemical References
  • Herbicides
  • Sesterterpenes
  • Terpenes
  • ophiobolins
  • ophiobolin A
Topics
  • Ascomycota (metabolism)
  • Herbicides (pharmacology)
  • Plant Leaves (chemistry)
  • Poaceae (drug effects)
  • Sesterterpenes
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Terpenes (chemistry, metabolism, pharmacology)

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