Identification of the Solanum nigrum extract component involved in controlling cabbage black leaf spot disease

In this study, we discovered that an ethanol (EtOH) extract of Solanum nigrum inhibited spore germination of Alternaria brassicicola, the causative agent of cabbage black leaf spot disease. At a concentration of 500 mg/L, this ethanol extract also caused the germ tubes to become completely swollen. Detached cabbage leaves were then used to evaluate the effects of the extract in controlling the disease. It was observed that the extract-induced swelling of A. brassicicola germ-tube spores did not cause the symptoms of black spot disease on cabbage leaves. Furthermore, an n-butanol fraction of the EtOH extract exhibited strong antifungal activity; at a concentration of 25 mg/L, a derived subfraction (Bu-11-13) showed complete inhibition of spore germination. A white powder was collected from fraction Bu-11-13, and its minimum inhibitory concentration was determined to be 8 mg/L. Using NMR and LC-MS/MS analysis, this white powder compound was identified as degalactotigonin.