Ageratum conyzoides L. and Its Secondary Metabolites in the Management of Different Fungal Pathogens

Ageratum conyzoides L. (Family—Asteraceae) is an annual aromatic invasive herb, mainly distributed over the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It owns a reputed history of indigenous remedial uses, including as a wound dressing, an antimicrobial, and mouthwash as well as in treatment of dysentery, diarrhea, skin diseases, etc. In this review, the core idea is to present the antifungal potential of the selected medicinal plant and its secondary metabolites against different fungal pathogens. Additionally, toxicological studies (safety profile) conducted on the amazing plant A. conyzoides L. are discussed for the possible clinical development of this medicinal herb. Articles available from 2000 to 2020 were reviewed in detail to exhibit recent appraisals of the antifungal properties of A. conyzoides. Efforts were aimed at delivering evidences for the medicinal application of A. conyzoides by using globally recognized scientific search engines and databases so that an efficient approach for filling the lacunae in the research and development of antifungal drugs can be adopted. After analyzing the literature, it can be reported that the selected medicinal plant effectively suppressed the growth of numerous fungal species, such as Aspergillus, Alternaria, Candida, Fusarium, Phytophthora, and Pythium, owing to the presence of various secondary metabolites, particularly chromenes, terpenoids, flavonoids and coumarins. The possible mechanism of action of different secondary metabolites of the plant against fungal pathogens is also discussed briefly. However, it was found that only a few studies have been performed to demonstrate the plant’s dosage and safety profile in humans. Considered all together, A. conyzoides extract and its constituents may act as a promising biosource for the development of effective antifungal formulations for clinical use. However, in order to establish safety and efficacy, additional scientific research is required to explore chronic toxicological effects of ageratum, to determine the probability of interactions when used with different herbs, and to identify safe dosage. The particulars presented here not only bridge this gap but also furnish future research strategies for the investigators in microbiology, ethno-pharmacology, and drug discovery.     

Asymmetric synthesis and structure-activity studies of the fungal metabolites colletorin A,colletochlorin A and their halogenates analogues

The first asymmetric total synthesis of both enantiomers of the natural products colletorin A and colletochlorin A is presented. The proposed methodology is based on the coupling reaction between highly substituted aromatic Gilman cuprates and optically active allyl bromides, in turn obtained by Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation. The latter ensured a high degree of regio- and stereocontrol in the enantioselective step of the synthesis. The same synthetic strategy has been also applied for the preparation of differently halogenated synthetic analogues of colletochlorin A in high enantiomeric purity. The enantioselective synthesis of colletorin A and colletochlorin A allows to reliably assign their absolute configuration. Preliminary assessment of their herbicidal and insecticidal properties evidence the possibility to modulate the bioactivity of these compounds, highlighting its dependence on both the absolute stereochemistry and the halogen nature.     

The mutual responses of higher plants to environment: physiological and microbiological aspects

Higher plants are different from animals in many aspects, but the important difference may be that plants are more easily influenced by environment. Plants have a series of fine mechanisms for responding to environmental changes, which has been established during their long-period evolution and artificial domestication. The relationship between higher plants and environment is influenced mutually. The component in environment provides higher plants with nutrients for shaping themselves and higher plants simultaneously bring photosynthetic products and metabolites to surroundings, which is the most important part of natural circle. Photosynthetic products are realized mainly by physiological mechanisms, and microbiological aspects in environment (for instance, soil environment) impact the above processes greatly. The complete understanding of the relationship will extremely promote the sustainable utilization of plant resources and make the best use of its current potential under different scales.     

Nonribosomal cyclic peptides: specific markers of fungal infections

Some cyclic peptides and depsipeptides are synthesized in microorganisms by large multienzymes called nonribosomal peptide synthetases. The structures of peptide products originating in this way are complex and diverse and are microorganism-specific. This work proposes the use of fungal cyclic peptides and depsipeptides as extremely specific markers of fungal infections. Since a reliable molecular tool for diagnosing fungal infections at an early stage is still missing, we present mass spectrometry as a new, modern, broadband (with respect to fungal strain) and specific tool for clinical mycologists. More than 40 different fungal species can be rapidly characterized according to specific families of cyclic peptides, and in some cases, a particular fungal strain can be identified on the basis of its cyclopeptide profile. This paper is also aimed at initiating discussion on the biological role of these secondary metabolites, especially of those synthesized by medically important strains. Proven cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive activities of some cyclic peptides indicate that these molecules may contribute to the synergistic array of fungal virulence factors and support microbial invasion during fungal infection. In addition to an overview on recent mass spectrometric protocols for cyclic peptide sequencing, the structures of new peptides from Paecilomyces and Pseudallescheria are presented.     

Microbial pretreatment of biomass

Typical pretreatment requires high-energy (steam and electricity) and corrosion-resistant, high-pressure reactors. A review of the literature suggests that fungal pretreatment could potentially lower the severity requirements of acid, temperature and time. These reductions in severity are also expected to result in less biomass degradation and consequently lower inhibitor concentrations compared to conventional thermochemical pretreatment. Furthermore, potential advantages of fungal pretreatment of agricultural residues, such as corn stover, are suggested by its effectiveness in improving the cellulose digestibility of many types of forage fiber and agricultural wastes. Our preliminary tests show a three- to five-fold improvement in enzymatic cellulose digestibility of corn stover after pretreatment with Cyathus stercoreus; and a ten- to 100-fold reduction in shear force needed to obtain the same shear rate of 3.2 to 7 rev/s, respectively, after pretreatment with Phanerochaete chrysosporium.     

Mesoporous cadmium sulfide nanoparticles derived from a new cadmium anthranilato complex: Characterization and induction of morphological abnormalities in pathogenic fungi

A cadmium complex of the general formula Cd(C₁₃H₉O₂NCl)₂(H₂O)₂ {C₁₃H₉O₂NCl = 2-(4-chlorophenylamino)benzoate} was synthesized and characterized regarding its CHN data, solution molar conductivity and spectroscopic (UV–Vis. and IR) properties. Cadmium sulfide nanoparticles (CdS NPs) were grown form the microcrystalline complex and thiourea via a hydrothermal route. The as-prepared NPs were assigned based on X-ray powder diffraction (PXRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and Brunauer – Emmett – Teller (BET) surface area measurements. The CdS absorption and emission spectra were also recorded that revealed an energy gap of 2.47 eV and large Stokes shift of 130 nm. For the as-prepared NPs, the measurements have also indicated a mesoporous structure and an average particle size of 20–28 nm associated with an average pore diameter of 11.21 nm. The as-synthesized CdS NPs acted as antifungal controlling agent against human and plant pathogenic fungi of serious environmental and health concerns. The NPs at concentration of 200 ppm inhibited several fungi with inhibition efficiency of 100% against Aspergillus ustus Au-28. The nanoparticles induced morphological abnormalities in fungal mycelia, conidia and vesicle. Additionally, they inhibited the conidia septum formation, accelerated the chlamydospores generation and enlarged the yeast cells.     

A field scale model for the spread of fungal diseases in crops: the example of a powdery mildew epidemic over a large vineyard

The aim of this article is to derive an asymptotic two‐scale model for the propagation of a fungal disease over a large vineyard. The original model is based on a singularly perturbed system of two linear reaction‐diffusion equations coupled with a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations in a highly heterogeneous medium. We prove the well‐posedness of the asymptotic model and obtain a convergence result confirmed by numerical simulations. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Biodegradation of γ-sterilised biomedical polyolefins under composting and fungal culture environments

Polyolefin-based commodities are widely used as biomedical devices and food packaging after γ-sterilisation. The aim of the present work was to study the effect of γ-sterilisation on the biodegradation of polyolefins. Films of isotactic polypropylene, high-density polyethylene and ethylene-propylene (EP) copolymers were sterilised under γ-radiation with doses of 10 and 25 kGy. Neat and sterilised samples were incubated in compost and fungal culture environments. The changes in functional groups, surface morphology and chain scission in polymer chains were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, SEM and viscometric measurements, respectively. A gradual decrease in intrinsic viscosity [η] and increase in carbonyl and hydroxyl regions in FTIR spectra were found for the γ-sterilised samples as a function of increasing dose. Polypropylene was found to be more susceptible to both radio-oxidation and biodegradation. It was observed that in case of ethylene-propylene copolymers, extent of γ-sterilisation and/or biodegradation depends on the composition and distribution of comonomers. Important surface erosion was detected by SEM, for higher sterilisation doses, after composting.     

Influence of the thermal modification of controlled porosity glass on the affinity chromatography of fungal proteins

Summary The properties and the coverage density of chemically bonded phases depend among others on the properties of their supports. Controlled-porosity glasses (CPG) are materials used as a support of bio-active ligands. Their network mainly consist of SiO₂ as well as of a small amount of B₂O₃ and Na₂O. The characteristic feature of porous glasses is the possibility of a change in the surface boron concentration leading to the change of the properties of their surface.This paper deals with the results of the separation of fungal proteins on packings consisting of vanillin bonded to CPG with different boron concentration on its surface. It appears from the data obtained that the changes in the affinity of the fungal proteins to the packing are related to the extend of the thermal treatment of the CPG. The protein fractions separated by chromatography were confirmed to be homogeneous by poly-acryloamide gel disc electrophoresis.