Abstract
In solving the issue of basal stem rot diseases caused by Ganoderma, an investigation of Scytalidium parasiticum as a biological control agent that suppresses Ganoderma infection has gained our interest, as it is more environmentally friendly. Recently, the fungal co-cultivation has emerged as a promising method to discover novel antimicrobial metabolites. In this study, an established technique of co-culturing Scytalidium parasiticum and Ganoderma boninense was applied to produce and induce metabolites that have antifungal activity against G. boninense. The crude extract from the co-culture media was applied to a High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) preparative column to isolate the bioactive compounds, which were tested against G. boninense. The fractions that showed inhibition against G. boninense were sent for a Liquid Chromatography-Time of Flight-Mass Spectrometry (LC-TOF-MS) analysis to further identify the compounds that were responsible for the microbicidal activity. Interestingly, we found that eudistomin I, naringenin 7-O-beta-D-glucoside and penipanoid A, which were present in different abundances in all the active fractions, except in the control, could be the antimicrobial metabolites. In addition, the abundance of fatty acids, such as oleic acid and stearamide in the active fraction, also enhanced the antimicrobial activity. This comprehensive metabolomics study could be used as the basis for isolating biocontrol compounds to be applied in oil palm fields to combat a Ganoderma infection.
Highlights
Malaysia has been known as one of the world’s top oil palm producers and exporters since the1960s, and oil palm production has grown from a humble crop industry to become one of the most significant contributors to Malaysia’s gross domestic product
The exudates from the co-culture media were extracted, and the fractions were collected by recycling preparative High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) for further analysis (Figure S1)
The presence of 236.162 m/z, which was putatively identified as eudistomin I based on the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and MassBank database, was found at high levels, approximately 60% higher in the treatment group compared to the control group (Figure 4B)
Summary
Malaysia has been known as one of the world’s top oil palm producers and exporters since the1960s, and oil palm production has grown from a humble crop industry to become one of the most significant contributors to Malaysia’s gross domestic product. Molecules 2020, 25, 5965 caused by the fungus known as Ganoderma boninense This disease has caused significant economic loss, and the total area affected by BSR in 2020 is estimated to be approximately 443,430 ha (65.6 million) oil palm trees [1]. The control by chemical treatment using fungicides has been shown to be less effective than the mechanical treatment and can cause harm to the environment, especially if residues remain in the soil and enter waterways [2,3]. These effects have hastened the use of biological control as a viable method to combat BSR disease in palm oil. The antifungal metabolites could be produced by S. parasiticum alone for the self-defense system against Ganoderma or could be induced by co-culturing both fungi; the co-culture technique has become a new trend in the search for a new biocontrol agent discovery
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
