Bioassays on Leptographium wingfieldii, a Bark Beetle Associated Fungus, with Phenolic Compounds of Scots Pine Phloem

Abstract

The fungicidal activity of five phenolic metabolites occurring in Scots pine phloem (Cat, Tax, PS, PC and PSM) and of phenolic extracts from unwounded (fresh) and wounded phloem of Scots pine were measured against Leptographium wingfieldii, a fungus associated with Tomicus piniperda. Bioassays were performed in micro-wells in a standard medium in the absence and presence of Scots pine phloem. In both media, methanol extracts from the unwounded and wounded phloem, PS, PSM and PC inhibited fungal growth. Tax and Cat had no effect or stimulated fungal growth. The presence of Scots pine phloem in the liquid medium reduced the inhibitory effect of phenolic compounds. At low concentrations (10−4–10−5 M), the fungus seemed to be able to degrade PS, PSM and PC while, whatever the Cat and Tax concentrations, it did not seem to degrade them. These results suggest that three phenolic compounds have a potential fungitoxicity in vitro and that, in vivo, these phenols could play a role in the efficiency of the induced reaction to stop fungal growth.