Antifungal activity of polyacetylenes isolated from Cirsium japonicum roots against various phytopathogenic fungi

Antifungal substances from a methanol extract of Cirsium japonicum roots were purified and characterized, and their antifungal activities against various plant pathogens were evaluated. Three polyacetylene substances were isolated from roots of C. japonicum using repeated column chromatography; these were identified as ciryneol A, ciryneol C and 1-heptadecene-11,13-diyne-8,9,10-triol by mass and nuclear magnetic resonance spectral analyses. In vitro antifungal activity of the three substances varied according to compound and target species. Magnaporthe oryzae, Colletotrichum coccodes, Colletotrichum acutatum, Pythium ultimum and Botrytis cinerea were relatively sensitive to the three polyacetylenes, with IC50 values below 50 μg mL−1. In vivo, they all showed similar and broad antifungal spectra against the seven plant diseases tested. At 500 μg mL−1, all three compounds effectively suppressed the development of rice blast, rice sheath blight, tomato late blight, wheat leaf rust and red pepper anthracnose, with control values over 90%. They were highly active especially against wheat leaf rust; they controlled the development of this disease more than 88% even at a concentration of 125 μg mL−1. In addition, ciryneol C effectively suppressed barley powdery mildew. This is the first report on the antifungal activities of the three polyacetylenes from roots of C. japonicum against plant pathogenic fungi. Polyacetylenes from roots of C. japonicum may contribute to the development of environmentally safer alternatives to protect crops from various phytopathogenic fungi.

► We examine in vitro and in vivo antifungal activities of three polyacetylenes isolated from Cirsium japonicum roots against various fungi.
► They inhibit mycelial growth of several pathogenic fungi with IC50 values below 50 μg mL−1.
► The compounds effectively suppressed the development of several plant diseases, especially wheat leaf rust.
► The polyacetylenes may contribute to the development of environmentally safer alternatives to protect crops from various phytopathogenic fungi.