title: Influence of fungal endophyte infection on phenolic content and antioxidant activity in grasses: interaction between Lolium perenne and different strains of Neotyphodium lolii.
abstract: Lolium perenne  is a major forage and turf grass, which is often naturally infected with a "wild-type" strain (E(WT)) of the fungal endophyte  Neotyphodium lolii , establishing a symbiotic relationship. In this study, the impacts of different strains wild type E(WT), AR1 (E(AR1)) and AR37 (E(AR37)), of N. lolii on the phenolic profile, phenolic content, and antioxidant capacity of L. perenne were examined. Samples could be ranked according to their phenol content as follows: E(AR1) > E(AR37) ≥ E(-) > E(WT). Radical-scavenging assays showed the same relative ranking of extracts. Flavonoid glycosides and hydroxycinnamic acids were the most abundant polyphenols in L. perenne extracts. Chlorogenic acid and its derivatives were the major compounds responsible for the antioxidant activity. Infection with N. lolii significantly influenced L. perenne phenolic content and antioxidant activity. In conclusion, changes in phenolic composition were merely quantitative. Endophyte infection can have zero, positive, or negative effect on phenol content depending on the endophyte strain.
authors.affiliation: School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Orange, NSW 2800, Australia.
authors.forename: Abdelqader
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Qawasmeh
authors.forename: Hassan K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Obied
authors.forename: Anantanarayanan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raman
authors.forename: Warwick
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wheatley
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D060026:Endophytes / Q000502:physiology*; D008129:Lolium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology*; D055328:Neotyphodium / Q000502:physiology*; D006109:Poaceae / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology; D059808:Polyphenols / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D059808:Polyphenols