Phytochemical profile and antifungal action of Anadenanthera colubrina extract on the quality of maize seeds

José George Ferreira Medeiros,Rummenigge De Macêdo Rodrigues,José Vinicius Bezerra Da Silva,Edcarlos Camilo Silva,Aderson Costa Araujo Neto,Andréa Celina Ferreira Demartelaere

doi:10.1590/1808-1657000762019

Abstract

ABSTRACT Maize (Zea mays L.) is among the most cultivated crops in the world and can be affected by several diseases, especially those transmitted by seeds. The study of alternatives to fungicides used for seed treatment has a promising field in essential oils. Thus, this study determined the phytochemical profile of the ethanolic extract from Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan and to evaluate its antifungal activity on the sanitary and physiological quality of maize seeds. The seeds used were of the Jaboatao cultivar, which were submitted to the following treatments: control (untreated seeds), commercial fungicide (dicarboximide) and A. colubrina extract at 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1,000 ppm. The seeds were subjected to sanitary and germination tests in a completely randomized experimental design. Phytochemical prospecting of A. colubrina extract indicated the presence of alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids and saponins, as well as the major compounds lupeol, gallic acid, ferulic acid, catechin and quercetin. The A. colubrina extract reduced the incidence of Aspergillus spp., including Aspergillus niger, Alternaria spp., Curvularia spp. and Fusarium spp. at all concentrations. The highest concentrations (800 and 1,000 ppm) of the A. colubrina extract reduced the incidence of Penicillium spp. and yielded an effective control of Rhizoctonia spp. The extract of A. colubrina did not present phytotoxic effect, guaranteeing the viability and vigor of maize seeds.

Highlights

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most cultivated crops in the world, with wide adaptability to different edaphoclimatic conditions (DOMENE et al, 2016)
The phytochemical profile of the ethanolic extract of A. colubrina showed the presence of different groups of secondary metabolites, suggesting the availability of alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids and saponins
germination speed index (GSI) (%) 6.6 a 8.8 a 9.1 a 10.2 a 9.3 a 8.4 a 7.8 a 6.72. These results prove the potential of the antifungal activity of A. colubrina extract determined in the sanitary analysis of the seeds (Tables 2, 3 and 4), due to the fact that the efficient control of mycoflora associated with maize seeds results in an increase in their germination capacity

Summary

Introduction

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most cultivated crops in the world, with wide adaptability to different edaphoclimatic conditions (DOMENE et al, 2016). The health quality of seeds can be compromised by the association of fungi in all production stages. These pathogens are frequently responsible for the reduction in their physiological quality and can be disseminated over long distances through infected seeds and be transmitted via seed-seedlings (SALES et al, 2016). Among the fungal diseases that affect the maize crop, those that cause seed rot and seedling damping-off in pre- and post-emergence are of great importance, as they are responsible for the reduction or total loss in yield, in addition to the significant increase in production costs (STEFANELLO et al, 2012). Stenocarpella maydis, Rhizoctonia spp., Penicillium oxalicum and Pythium spp. are the main causal agents of this group of diseases, and these pathogens survive in the soil and inside seeds, that is, they are optional parasites (MACHADO et al, 2013)

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