Lupeol acetate as a potent antifungal compound against opportunistic human and phytopathogenic mold Macrophomina phaseolina

Sci Rep. 2021 Apr 19;11(1):8417. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-87725-7.

Abstract

Antifungal activity of Monotheca buxifolia methanolic extract and its various fractions were assessed against Macrophomina phaseolina, a soil-borne fungal pathogen of more than 500 vegetal species as well as rare and emerging opportunistic human pathogen. Different concentrations of methanolic extract (3.125 to 200 mg mL-1) inhibited fungal biomass by 39-45%. Isolated n-hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions suppressed fungal biomass by 32-52%, 29-50% and 29-35%, respectively. Triterpenes lupeol and lupeol acetate (1, 2) were isolated from n-hexane while betulin, β-sitosterol, β-amyrin, oleanolic acid (3-6) were isolated from chloroform fraction. Vanillic acid, protocatechuic acid, kaempferol and quercetin (7-10) were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction and identified using various spectroscopic techniques namely mass spectroscopy and NMR. Antifungal activity of different concentrations (0.0312 to 2 mg mL-1) of the isolated compounds was evaluated and compared with the activity of a broad spectrum fungicide mancozeb. Different concentrations of mencozeb reduced fungal biomass by 83-85%. Among the isolated compounds lupeol acetate (2) was found the highest antifungal against M. phaseolina followed by betulin (3), vanillic acid (7), protocatechuic acid (8), β-amyrin (5) and oleanolic acid (6) resulting in 79-81%, 77-79%, 74-79%, 67-72%, 68-71% and 68-71%, respectively. Rest of the compounds also showed considerable antifungal activity and reduced M. phaseolina biomass by 41-64%.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology
  • Ascomycota / drug effects*
  • Humans
  • Maneb / pharmacology
  • Mycoses / drug therapy*
  • Opportunistic Infections / drug therapy
  • Pentacyclic Triterpenes / pharmacology*
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology
  • Zineb / pharmacology

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • Pentacyclic Triterpenes
  • Plant Extracts
  • Maneb
  • lupeol
  • mancozeb
  • Zineb

Supplementary concepts

  • Macrophomina phaseolina