ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Effect of Externally Applied Fungal Polysaccharides on Fusariosis in Tomato Plants

G. Kogan, A. Šrobárová, and L. Tamás

Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, SK-845 38 Bratislava

E-mail: grigorij.kogan@savba.sk

Received: 24 June 2003

Abstract: The chitin—glucan complex isolated from the waste mycelia of filamentous fungi Aspergillus niger that are left behind upon the industrial production of citric acid, β-d-glucan from baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), and mannan from Candida albicans has been investigated. Five different water-soluble polysaccharide derivatives were obtained and used in the assay of the antifungal activity against plant pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici in tomato (Lycopersicum esculenta L.). In the experiments, application of the polysaccharides led to the diminished infestation as well as to slightly increased productivity of fresh mass of the plants. The results demonstrated that the external application of the polysaccharides led to changes in production of cell-wall, as well as of some outer- and integral-membrane-bound proteins. Although the nature of the observed proteins has not been yet established, it can be speculated that they represent certain enzymes involved in the infective or anti-infective mechanisms in plants.

Full paper in Portable Document Format: 582a139.pdf

Chemical Papers 58 (2) 139–144 (2004)