Antifungal activity of isothiocyanates and related compounds. II. Mononuclear aromatic isothiocyanates

The Antimicrobial Effects of Myrosinase Hydrolysis Products Derived from Glucosinolates Isolated from Lepidium draba

Lepidium draba (hoary cress) is a perennial plant belonging to the Brassicaceae family that produces two dominant glucosinolates (GLSs): glucoraphanin (GRN) and sinalbin (SBN). They represent the stored form, which is converted upon the myrosinase (Myr) hydrolysis activity to active compounds, mainly isothiocyanates (ITCs) such as sulforaphane (SFN) or p-hydroxybenzyl isothiocyanate (pHBITC). Research on ITCs that have proven anticancer, antimicrobial, and chemoprotective properties is usually conducted with pure commercially available compounds. However, these are chemically reactive, making it difficult to use them directly for preventive purposes in dietary supplements. Efforts are currently being made to prepare dietary supplements enriched with GLS and/or Myr. In this study, we report a simple but efficient chromatographic procedure for the isolation and purification of GLSs from MeOH extract from hoary cress based on a combination of ion exchange and gel permeation chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A-25 and Sephadex LH-20. To obtain the Myr required for efficient hydrolysis of GLSs into antibacterial ITCs, we developed a rapid method for its extraction from the seeds of Lepidium sativum (garden cress). The yields of GLSs were 22.9 ± 1.2 mg GRN (purity 96%) and 10.4 ± 1.1 mg SBN (purity 92%) from 1 g of dry plant material. Both purified GLSs were used as substrates for the Myr. Analysis of the composition of hydrolysis products (HPs) revealed differences in their hydrolysis rates and in the degree of conversion from GLSs to individual ITCs catalyzed by Myr. When GRNs were cleaved, SFNs were formed in an equimolar ratio, but the formation of pHBITCs was only half that of cleaved SBNs. The decrease in pHBITC content is due to its instability compared to SFN. While SFN is stable in aqueous media during the measurement, pHBITC undergoes non-enzymatic hydrolysis to p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol and thiocyanate ions. Testing of the antimicrobial effects of the HPs formed from GRN by Myr under premix or in situ conditions showed inhibition of the growth of model prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms. This observation could serve as the jumping-off point for the design of a two-component mixture, based on purified GLSs and Myr that is, usable in food or the pharmaceutical industry in the future.

Implications of Below-Ground Allelopathic Interactions of Camelina sativa and Microorganisms for Phosphate Availability and Habitat Maintenance

Toxic breakdown products of young Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz, glucosinolates can eliminate microorganisms in the soil. Since microorganisms are essential for phosphate cycling, only insensitive microorganisms with phosphate-solubilizing activity can improve C. sativa's phosphate supply. In this study, 33P-labeled phosphate, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and pot experiments unveiled that not only Trichoderma viride and Pseudomonas laurentiana used as phosphate-solubilizing inoculants, but also intrinsic soil microorganisms, including Penicillium aurantiogriseum, and the assemblies of root-colonizing microorganisms solubilized as well phosphate from apatite, trigger off competitive behavior between the organisms. Driving factors in the competitiveness are plant and microbial secondary metabolites, while glucosinolates of Camelina and their breakdown products are regarded as key compounds that inhibit the pathogen P. aurantiogriseum, but also seem to impede root colonization of T. viride. On the other hand, fungal diketopiperazine combined with glucosinolates is fatal to Camelina. The results may contribute to explain the contradictory effects of phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms when used as biofertilizers. Further studies will elucidate impacts of released secondary metabolites on coexisting microorganisms and plants under different environmental conditions.

Glucosinolates, a natural chemical arsenal: More to tell than the myrosinase story

Glucosinolates are a group of thioglucosides that belong to the class of plant nitrogen-containing natural products. So far, very little biological activity has been associated with intact glucosinolates. The hydrolysis of glucosinolates has, for long, attracted attention because of the potent biological activity of the hydrolysis products. From allelopathic to antiparasitic, antimicrobial and antineoplastic effects, the activity spectrum of the degradation products of typical glucosinolates has been the subject of much research. The present review seeks to address the various means of glucosinolate degradation (thermal, enzymatic, or chemical degradation) and the ensuing products. It also aims to draw a comparative profile of the various antimicrobial effects of these degradation products to provide a further understanding of the biological function of these important compounds.

Isothiocyanates Produced by Brassicaceae Species as Inhibitors of Fusarium oxysporum

Glucosinolates contained in members of the Brassicaceae release isothiocyanates potentially useful in controlling Fusarium oxysporum pathogens in conifer seedling nursery soils. Our objective was to determine the toxicity of individual isothiocyanates to different growth stages of the fungus. Bioassays with four F. oxysporum isolates were conducted using sealed containers in which 0.3 μl of 2-propenyl, ethyl, buty, phenylethyl, benzyl, or phenyl isothiocyanate was allowed to volatilize. Propenyl and ethyl isothiocyanates were the most fungistatic of those compounds tested. The same concentrations of propenyl and ethyl isothiocyanates that inhibited mycelial growth completely suppressed conidial and chlamydospore germination of all isolates. Other isothiocyanates including ethyl, benzyl, and phenethyl were also fungitoxic to F. oxysporum conidia and chlamydospores. Reduction in pathogen populations resulting from a green-manure crop are likely achievable since chlamydospores are sensitive to isothiocyanate. Pathogenic F. oxysporum isolates infesting nursery soils would likely be most suppressed by species of plants such as Brassica carinata, B. nigra, and B. juncea, which contain glucosi-nolates that release high concentrations of propenyl isothiocyanate.

Inhibition of Aphanomyces euteiches f. sp. pisi by Volatiles Produced by Hydrolysis of Brassica napus Seed Meal

Seed meal from Brassica napus (rapeseed) produced volatile fungitoxic compounds potentially of value in the control of Aphanomyces root rot of pea. Hyphal growth, germination of encysted zoospores, and oospore survival and inoculum potential, were determined in the presence of volatiles produced from B. napus seed meal. Volatile compounds from B. napus meal completely suppressed mycelial growth and germination of encysted zoospores on agar. In growth chamber bioassays, pea (Pisum sativum) seed inoculated with zoospore suspensions and incubated 24 h in the presence of volatiles from rapeseed meal had 50% lower root rot disease severity than in the absence of meal. Volatile compounds passing through soil also significantly decreased survival and inoculum potential of oospores. Gas chromatographic analysis of rapeseed tissues and the volatile compounds evolved from tissues showed that substrate glucosinolates were hydrolyzed enzymatically to produce mainly isothiocyanates. Non-autoclaved rapeseed meal produced significantly higher levels of volatile compounds than did autoclaved meal. Also, volatile compounds produced from autoclaved meal were dominated by nitriles, whereas isothiocyanates were more common volatile products from non-autoclaved meal. Our results indicate that B. napus allelochemicals responsible for toxic effects toward A. euteiches f. sp. pisi are enzymatic hydrolysis products of glucosinolates.

Toxicity of Glucosinolate Degradation Products from Brassica napus Seed Meal Toward Aphanomyces euteiches f. sp. pisi

ABSTRACT Brassica tissues are potentially useful in the control of Aphanomyces root rot of peas (Pisum sativum), but identity of the responsible compounds and specific impacts of those compounds on the pathogen's infection potential remain uncertain. Brassica napus seed meals and water extracts from these meals were used to determine the effect of glucosinolate hydrolysis products on Aphanomyces euteiches f. sp. pisi. B. napus meal ('Dwarf Essex') containing glucosinolates and intact myrosinase, the enzyme responsible for glucosinolate hydrolysis, completely inhibited infection by A. euteiches f. sp. pisi oospores. Water extracts from this meal, likewise, severely inhibited infection by oospores, as well as mycelial growth. Extracts from autoclaved 'Dwarf Essex' meal, in which myrosinase was denatured, and a low glucosinolate B. napus variety ('Stonewall') produced little disease reduction and had less impact on mycelial growth. Gas chromatographic analysis of Brassica tissues and water extracts confirmed that glucosinolates remained in autoclaved 'Dwarf Essex' meal and that 'Stonewall' meal contained low glucosinolate concentrations. 5-Vinyloxazolidine-2-thione was identified by mass spectrometry as a dominant glucosinolate hydrolysis product in aqueous extracts of the inhibitory meal. Bioassays conducted with aqueous solutions of this compound reduced mycelial growth, but not to the extent of those from intact 'Dwarf Essex' meal. Water-soluble compounds produced from the hydrolysis of glucosinolates in B. napus tissues reduced A. euteiches oospore infection and inhibited mycelial growth, thus, demonstrating potential utility of Brassica species in the control of A. euteiches.

Fungicidal action and structure correlation of monosubstituted phenyl isothiocyanates

The fungicidal activity of 10 monosubstituted phenyl isothiocyanates was observed with four plant pathogens. The ortho- and meta-substituted derivatives possessed a fair activity while the para-substituted ones proved to be highly fungicidal when compared to the control Agrosan GN.

Antifungal activity of isothiocyanates and related compounds. 3. Derivatives of biphenyl, stilbene, azobenzene, and several polycondensed aromatic hydrocarbons

This paper presents the results of a study on the antifungal activity of isothiocyanates-derivatives of biphenyl (group "A"), of stilbene ("B"), of azobenzene and benzeneazonaphthalene ("C"), of naphthalene ("D"), and of further polycondensed aromatic hydrocarbons ("E"). From a total of 48 investigated compounds, antifungal activity was observed only in A and D group compounds. B, C, and E group derivatives are extremely insoluble in water, and the molecules are very large; as a result, they probably cannot pass into spores or mycelium of fungi. Thus, the -NCS group cannot manifest its reactivity.