[Identification and phytotoxic activity of fungus QTYC-51 from the gut of Pantala flavescens larvae].

Objective: To isolate the fungus with phytotoxic activity from the gut of Pantala flavescens larvae.

Methods: Strain QTYC-51 was identified by morphological observation and 5.8S rDNA-ITS sequence analysis. Petri dish bioassay was used to test the phytotoxic activity of fermentation broth and monomer compounds of strain QTYC-51 on Echinochloa crusgalli and Amaranthus retroflexus. Bioactive components were isolated from ethyl acetate extracts via chromatographic methods, and the structures were determined by mass spectrum and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses.

Results: QTYC-51 was identified as Paraconiothyrium sp.. The fermentation broth had good phytotoxic activity on radical growth of E. crusgalli and A. retroflexus with the inhibition rates of 76.9% and 56.5%, respectively. Five monomer compounds were purified from the fermentation products, including 1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone, 1-hydroxy-10-methoxy-dibenz[b,e]oxepin-6,11-dione, hydroxyvertixanthone, globosuxanthone and 1,3,6,8-tetrahydroxyanthraquinone. At the concentration of 100 μg/mL, compound globosuxanthone was found to possess obvious phytotoxic effects on radical growth of E. crusgalli and A. retroflexus with the inhibition rates of 94.1% and 79.0%, respectively, which were comparable to that of positive control 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Compound 1-hydroxy-10-methoxy-dibenz[b,e] oxepin-6,11-dione showed potent phytotoxic activity against E. crusgalli and A. retroflexus with inhibition rates of 50.3% and 58.6%, respectively.

Conclusion: Strain QTYC-51 could be potentially developed as a microbial herbicide.