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Composition and in vitro antifungal activity of essential oils of Erigeron canadensis and Myrtus communis from France

Essential oils of Erigeron canadensis L. and Myrtus communis L. were tested in vitro as growth inhibitors against phytopathogenic fungi Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn, Fusarium solani (Mart.) Sacc. and Colletotrichum lindemuthianum (Sacc. & Magn.) Briosi & Cav. Both showed weak fungicidal acitivity, except the essential oil of M. communis that exerted a 60% growth inhibition against R. Solani at a dose of 1600 ppm. Microscopic observation revealed that the essential oil of M. Communis caused morphological alterations of hyphae of all fungi at 1600 ppm, while, at the same dose, only the hyphal morphology of C. Lindemuthianum was affected by the essential oil of Er. Canadensis.

A polyphasic approach to the identification of ochratoxin A-producing black Aspergillus isolates from vineyards in Sicily.

Aspergillus strains belonging to section Nigri isolated during a two year survey in eight Sicilian vineyards located on the slopes of Mount Etna (Sicily, Italy) were analysed analyzed in order to characterize species responsible for ochratoxin A (OTA) contamination of grapes. The polyphasic approach permitted analysis of biodiversity of Aspergillus isolates in relation to their morphology, ochratoxigenicity and genetic variability. We assessed OTA production by A. carbonarius, A. niger, A. tubingensis and A. japonicus using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A. carbonarius isolates were the strongest OTA producers. A subset of 66 representative strains was selected for further DNA-based characterization. PCR assays using species-specific primers discriminated between A. niger, A. carbonarius and A. japonicus on the basis of the target sequences for each species. The PCR-based methods matched morphological characterization in identifying all the black aspergilli (BA) isolates tested, whereas RFLP analysis with RsaI of isolates positive to PCRs with A. niger specific primers identified three A. tubingensis isolates. The identification of thirteen isolates was further confirmed by ITS analysis. By this method, each of the isolates was identified and assigned to an Aspergillus species. The fAFLP analysis of 40 isolates highlighted the power of this technique to discriminate different species and single strains, to verify the presence of mixed populations in the same vineyard, through homogeneous species clusters. No correlation was observed between the clusters and OTA production level or origin.

Synthesis and antifungal activity of new N-isoxazolyl-2-iodobenzamides

N-Isoxazolyl-2-iodobenzamides 3 and 9, with a benodanil-like structure, were synthesized by refluxing in acetic acid the corresponding benzotriazinones 2 and 8 with potassium iodide for 1 h with the aim to ascertain if they were active as fungicides against Phytophthora citricola Saw., Botrytis cinerea Pers., Rhizoctonia sp. and Alternaria sp. Among the tested iodo derivatives, compounds 3b and 9a possess interesting activities against the aforesaid fungal strains in several cases similar to that of benodanil I taken as reference drug.

Synthesis and antifungal activity of new N-(1-phenyl-4-carbetoxypyrazol-5-yl)-, N-(indazol-3-yl)- and N-(indazol-5-yl)-2-iodobenzamides

N-(1-Phenyl-4-carbetoxypyrazol-5-yl)-, N-(indazol-3-yl)- and N-(indazol-5-yl)-2-iodobenzamides 6, with a Benodanil-like structure, were synthesized by refluxing in acetic acid the corresponding benzotriazinones 5 with potassium iodide for 1 h in order to study the role on the antifungal activity of the N-substitution with an aromatic heterocyclic system on benzamide moiety. Among the tested iododerivatives, compounds 6d,f,g,h possess interesting activities toward some phytopathogenic fungal strains.

Pathogenicity bioassays of isolates of Beauveria bassiana on Rhynchophorus ferrugineus

BACKGROUND The control of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier), the main palm pest in the Mediterranean Basin, is problematic because of its biology and the current restrictions in many European countries on the use of chemical insecticides in urban areas. Entomopathogenic fungi have been studied as potential biological control agents, but information on their natural incidence is limited. Strains of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin were isolated from symptomatic insects collected on dead palms, and their pathogenicity against different instars of R. ferrugineus was evaluated in the laboratory. RESULTS The overall percentage of infected insects found in Canary palms was 7%. In laboratory bioassays, hatching of eggs treated with three different isolates of B. bassiana was 41.2, 26.8 and 29.9%, significantly lower than the control (62.4%). Larvae and adults were treated with a single isolate in two ways: spraying each insect with a conidial suspension or feeding them with fruit portions previously immersed in the same conidial suspension. At the end of the two trials, the mortality of treated larvae was 88 and 92%, and the mean survival time was 10.4 and 11.8 days, significantly different from the control, where no insect died during the trials. Mortality and survival time recorded in either trial on adults did not significantly differ between treatment and control. CONCLUSION This study shows that the pathogenicity of wild isolates of B. bassiana differs among the tested R. ferrugineus instars. The low mortality of treated adults supports their use as vectors of B. bassiana as a potential tool for reducing R. ferrugineus populations.

First record of Capnobotrys dingleyae (Metacapnodiaceae) on Taxus baccata for southern Europe

Abstract Field investigations carried out in a mixed forest of Fagus sylvatica and Taxus baccata in the Nebrodi Natural Park (Sicily, southern Italy) allowed us to identify a very rare lignicolous ascomycete Capnobotrys dingleyae, a new species for southern Europe.