Antifungal activity and mode of action of Galla rhois-derived phenolics against phytopathogenic fungi

Antifungal activity and target sites of methanolic extract and its constituents from the gall (Galla rhois) caused by the Chinese sumac aphid, Schlechtendalia chinensis, on the nutgall sumac tree, Rhus javanica, were examined. In tests with six phytopathogenic fungi using a whole plant bioassay, the gall extract exhibited good antifungal activity. The biologically active constituents isolated from Galla rhois were characterized as the phenolics methyl gallate and gallic acid by spectroscopic analyses. Methyl gallate was highly suppressive to Magnaporthe grisea, Botrytis cinerea, and Puccinia recondita, whereas gallic acid exhibited good antifungal activity against M. grisea and Erysiphe graminis. These two compounds were ineffective against rice sheath blight caused by Rhizoctonia solani. Methyl gallate did not adversely affect conidial germination (94%) but significantly inhibited appressorium formation (7%) of M. grisea. Moderate and significant inhibition of conidial germination (64%) and appressorium formation (5%) of M. grisea, respectively, were observed with gallic acid. In complementation tests with M. grisea, cAMP and 1,16-hexadecanediol restored significantly and slightly appressorium formation inhibited by methyl gallate and gallic acid, respectively. These results indicate that methyl gallate and gallic acid acted on a cAMP-related signaling pathway regulating appressorium formation in M. grisea.