Lantana camara L.: a potential biocontrol agent against phytoplasma infection in chili plants.

Phytoplasma, a phytopathogenic mollicute, poses a major threat to global agriculture with no effective control strategies currently available. Lantana camara L., an invasive weed, contains bioactive compounds with promising antimicrobial potential. This study investigates its potential, by utilizing the bioactive potential of green unripe berry extract from Lantana camara L., to mitigate phytoplasma infections in chili plants (Capsicum annuum). Phytoplasma infection in symptomatic chili plants was confirmed by nested PCR. Treatment with optimized L. camara extract led to significant recovery from little leaf disease. GC-MS analysis of Lantana camara L. green unripe berries identified six bioactive compounds with potential phytoplasma-inhibitory and antibacterial properties. To further explore their therapeutic potential, molecular docking studies were performed against the target protein SAP05 effector complexed with AtRpn10 (PDB ID: 8JTL) which is a known effector protein associated with phytoplasma pathogenicity. Among the docked compounds, Carsalam showed the strongest binding affinity (-7.2 kcal/mol) by interacting with Lys56 (C) residue. Other compounds like 5-(4-Chlorobenzyl)-1H-tetrazole and Cyclohexylmethylphosphonic acid also exhibited strong binding and targeted critical residues involved in protein function. These findings suggest L. camara has the potential to inhibit phytoplasma, marking a preliminary step toward sustainable phytoplasma management and an alternative to chemical treatments.