Evaluation of Organic Acids to Determine Antifungal Potential against Green Mold of Citrus (Kinnow Mandrin) Caused by Fungus Penicillium Digitatum (Pers. Fr.) Sacc
Evaluation of Organic Acids to Determine Antifungal Potential against Green Mold of Citrus (Kinnow Mandrin) Caused by Fungus Penicillium Digitatum (Pers. Fr.) Sacc
Awais Ahmed Khan1*, Zafar Iqbal1 and Muhammad Atiq2
ABSTRACT
Present study was designed to develop alternative methods to synthetic fungicides, currently used to control green mold of citrus caused by the Penicillium digitatum. Antifungal activities of organic elicitors were evaluated and all the elicitors expressed significant results. Salicylic acid was the most effective to control the disease and showed minimum mycelial growth diameter (35mm) followed by benzoic acid (44mm), jasmonic acid (45.5), and ascorbic acid (50mm) as compared to control (92mm) treatment. Organic elicitors activated the defense system, by inducing the biochemical alterations. These treatments effectively enhanced the activities of peroxidase (POD), Superoxide dismutase (SOD), and total phenolic contents. Salicylic acid showed highest POD activity (8.4 U/min g protein), SOD (6.96 U/ min g protein) and TPC (3.21 mg GAE/ 100g of sample) as compared to control where POD (1.13 U/min g protein), SOD (1.46 U/ min g protein), and TPC (1.14 mg GAE/ 100g of sample). Amount of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), the signaling molecule was also significantly increased (30.33 mmol/ mg FW) and catalase (CAT) was higher (91 U/min g protein) in fruit treated with ascorbic acid as compared to control (22.67 U/min g protein) treatment. These results indicated that application of organic elicitors could increase the disease resistance by H2O2 elevation and by induction of antioxidant enzymes. This study was planned to evaluate the organic elicitors and to determine the biochemical changes in citrus fruit.
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