In Vitro Evaluation of Antibacterial Activity of Copper and Sulfur Nanoparticles for Controlling Bacterial Blight Caused by Xanthomonas sp. in <em>Anthurium andraeanum</em> Lind

Abstract

Bacterial blight in Anthurium andraeanum Lind. which is caused by Xanthomonas sp. is regarded as the most threatening disease in the anthurium industry worldwide. Therefore, the current study was carried out to determine whether the application of copper nano particles (CuNPs) and sulfur nanoparticles (SNPs) is a possible solution to control the bacterial blight in anthurium. The bacterium Xanthomonas sp. was isolated using standard methods and a single bacterial colony was grown in nutrient agar (NA). The colonies produced in cultures were identified as Xanthomonas sp. as they were Gram-negative, motile rods with yellow colour due to production of xanthin. The symptoms appeared in the pathogenicity test which was carried out by injecting purified Xanthomonas sp. into disease free anthurium plants confirmed the identification of the bacterial strain. Concentrations of 5, 15 and 25mg/100ml CuNPs and 50, 75 and 1000 mg in 100ml SNPs were mixed separately with isolated Xanthomonas sp. to investigate the behavior of two types of nano particles in destroying the bacterium. All three concentrations (5, 15 and 25 mg/100ml) of copper nanoparticles used in suspensions of the bacterium Xanthomonas sp. did not support any bacterial growth. In contrast, all three concentrations of SNPs in Xanthomonas sp. showed bacterial growth though it was less in 1000 mg /in 100ml compared to the control treatment. Hence it can be concluded that 5 mg/100 ml CuNPs is capable of destroying in vitro growth of Xanthomonas sp. bacterium which causes bacterial blight in Anthurium andraeanum.