Controlling food-contaminating fungi by targeting their antioxidative stress-response system with natural phenolic compounds.
Authors:
Kim, J.H. Mahoney, N. Chan, K.L. Molyneux, R.J. Campbell, B.C. USDA, ARS
Source:
Applied microbiology and biotechnology. 2006 May, v. 70, no. 6, p. 735-739.
NALT Subjects:
mycoses disease control chemical control antifungal agents phenolic compounds carboxin drug resistance antifungal properties food pathogens Saccharomyces cerevisiae Aspergillus niger Aspergillus flavus Penicillium expansum microbial contamination antioxidant activity mitochondria electron transport chain superoxide dismutase oxidative stress
Other Subjects:
vanillyl acetone strobilurin
Issue Date:
May-2006
Abstract:
The antioxidative stress-response system is essential to fungi for tolerating exposure to phenolic compounds. We show how this system can be targeted to improve fungal control by using compounds that inhibit the fungal mitochondrial respiratory chain. Targeting mitochondrial superoxide dismutase with selected phenolic acid derivatives (e.g., vanillyl acetone) resulted in a 100- to 1,000-fold greater sensitivity to strobilurin or carboxin fungicides. This synergism is significantly greater with strobilurin than with carboxin, suggesting that complex III of the mitochondrial respiratory chain is a better target than complex II for fungal control, using phenolics. These results show certain natural compounds are effective synergists to commercial fungicides and can be used for improving control of food-contaminating pathogens. These results suggest that the use of such compounds for fungal control can reduce environmental and health risks associated with commercial fungicides, lower cost for control, and the probability for development of resistance.
