Survey of Phytotoxic Microbial and Plant Metabolites as Potential Natural Products for Pest Management

• Published in: Chemistry & biodiversity 2010-09, Vol.7 (9), p.2261-2280
• Main Authors: Schrader, Kevin K, Andolfi, Anna, Cantrell, Charles L, Cimmino, Alessio, Duke, Stephen O, Osbrink, Weste, Wedge, David E, Evidente, Antonio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agrostis - drug effects; Agrostis - growth & development; Algicidal activity; algicides; Alkaloids; Amaryllidaceae; animal pathogenic bacteria; Animals; Antifungal activity; Antitermite activity; Bacteria - metabolism; Bactericidal activity; bioassays; Biological Products - isolation & purification; Biological Products - pharmacology; Biological Products - toxicity; Catfishes - growth & development; Catfishes - microbiology; Cavoxin; Cyanobacteria - drug effects; Cycasin; Edwardsiella ictaluri - drug effects; fish diseases; Fish Diseases - microbiology; Fish Diseases - prevention & control; Flavobacterium - drug effects; Fungi - metabolism; fungicides; Herbicidal activity; herbicides; insecticidal properties; Isoptera; Isoptera - drug effects; Lactuca - drug effects; Lactuca - growth & development; Lycorine; metabolites; Microbial metabolites; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; microorganisms; Molecular Structure; mortality; Ophiobolin A; Ophiobolus; Pest Control - methods; pest management; Pesticides; Pesticides - isolation & purification; Pesticides - pharmacology; Pesticides - toxicity; Phytotoxic activity; phytotoxicity; phytotoxins; Plant Diseases - microbiology; Plant Diseases - prevention & control; plant pathogenic fungi; Plants - metabolism; Sphaeropsidin A; termiticides; Ungeremine
• ISSN: 1612-1880; 1612-1872; 1612-1880
• DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.201000041

Phytotoxic microbial metabolites produced by certain phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria, and a group of phytotoxic plant metabolites including Amaryllidacea alkaloids and some derivatives of these compounds were evaluated for algicide, bactericide, insecticide, fungicide, and herbicide activities in order to discover natural compounds for potential use in the management and control of several important agricultural and household structural pests. Among the various compounds evaluated: i) ophiobolin A was found to be the most promising for potential use as a selective algicide; ii) ungeremine was discovered to be bactericidal against certain species of fish pathogenic bacteria; iii) cycasin caused significant mortality in termites; iv) cavoxin, ophiobolin A, and sphaeropsidin A were most active towards species of plant pathogenic fungi; and v) lycorine and some of its analogues (1-O-acetyllycorine and lycorine chlorohydrate) were highly phytotoxic in the herbicide bioassay. Our results further demonstrated that plants and microbes can provide a diverse and natural source of compounds with potential use as pesticides.