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Published on: October 5, 2016
Bioactive Polyphenols Modulate Enzymes Involved in Grapevine Pathogenesis and Chitinase Activity at Increasing
Antonio Filippi1, Elisa Petrussa1, Francesco Boscutti1
1Department of Agriculture, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences, Plant Biology Unit, University of Udine, via delle Scienze 91, 33100 Udine, Italy.
Grape marc plant extracts boost grapevine chitinase activity, a key defense protein. This natural approach reduces synthetic chemical use in vineyards for better plant-pathogen interaction management.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Plant Pathology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Modern viticulture seeks to reduce synthetic chemical inputs.
- Biological control and induction of pathogenesis-related proteins are key alternatives.
- Plant extracts offer a potential source of bioactive compounds for crop protection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effects of hydro-alcoholic plant extracts (PEs) on enzymes involved in plant-pathogen interactions.
- To investigate the modulation of chitinase activity in grapevine cell cultures and cuttings using PEs.
- To characterize the polyphenolic composition of PEs and assess their efficacy in vitro and ex/in vivo.
Main Methods:
- Tested hydro-alcoholic PEs from grape marc, olive leaves, and Ailanthus altissima on purified enzymes.
- Analyzed polyphenolic composition of the extracts.
- Treated grapevine suspension cell cultures and cuttings with PEs to measure chitinase activity.
Main Results:
- Grape marc PE significantly enhanced chitinase activity at 4 g L⁻¹ in vitro.
- Foliar application of grape marc PE induced a dose-dependent stimulation of chitinase activity in grapevine cuttings.
- Grape marc extract demonstrated the highest effectiveness among tested PEs via multi-criteria decision analysis.
Conclusions:
- Plant extracts rich in phenolic compounds can effectively modulate plant-pathogen interactions.
- Grape marc-derived PEs show promise as a natural alternative to synthetic chemicals in viticulture.
- The study highlights the potential of using by-products like grape marc for sustainable agriculture.
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