Pyrrolizidine alkaloids from Senecio jacobaea affect fungal growth

J Chem Ecol. 2002 Sep;28(9):1763-72. doi: 10.1023/a:1020557000707.

Abstract

We investigated the growth-reducing effects of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) from Senecio jacobaea on nine plant-associated fungi (five strains of Fusarium oxysporum, two of F. sambucinum, and two of Trichoderma sp). Fungal growth was monitored on water agar media containing different concentrations of monocrotaline, retrorsine, or a purified extract of PAs from S. jacobaea. The growth rate of six strains was inhibited by PAs at the highest test concentration (3.33 mM), with the magnitude of the inhibition (7-35%) being dependent upon the specific fungus-PA interaction. In general, the PA extract caused the largest inhibition. However, the fungi isolated from S. jacobaea were positively affected by the PA extract (7-9%). Retrorsine N oxide was as effective as retrorsine in its inhibition of mycelium growth.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Analysis of Variance
  • Crotalaria / chemistry
  • Fungi / drug effects*
  • Fungi / growth & development
  • Monocrotaline / pharmacology
  • Mycelium / growth & development
  • Plants, Toxic / chemistry
  • Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids / chemistry
  • Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids / pharmacology*
  • Senecio / chemistry*
  • Senecio / classification
  • Species Specificity

Substances

  • Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids
  • isatidine
  • Monocrotaline
  • retrorsine