title: A study on antifungal activity of water-soluble chitosan against Macrophomina phaseolina.
abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate antifungal effect of water-soluble chitosan (s-chitosan) on Macrophomina phaseolina (M. phaseolina) causing jute seedling infection and monitor the change in activity of released enzymes during infection. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of s-chitosan for M. phaseolina was found at 12.5g/l and s-chitosan exhibited fungistatic mode of action against this pathogen. The application of s-chitosan (12.5g/l) during infection of jute seedlings by M. phaseolina inhibited fungal infection and length of the seedlings was found almost similar to seedlings without infection. M. phaseolina infected jute seedlings showed length of 22mm over 10 days of incubation and it increased to 58mm in presence of s-chitosan (12.5g/l) during incubation for 10 days. TEM study indicated presence of hyphae in the cortical and epidermal cells of fungus infected jute seedlings indicating colonization by the fungus and it disappeared after treatment with s-chitosan. The changes in enzyme profiles of jute seedling during prevention of fungal infection using s-chitosan helped in proper understanding of mode of action of s-chitosan as antifungal agent. The activity of defense related enzymes like chitosanase and peroxidase in infected seedlings was observed to be enhanced after treatment with s-chitosan.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637459, Singapore; Department of Biological Chemistry, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700 032, India. Electronic address: schatterjee@ntu.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Sudipta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Science, West Bengal University of Technology, Saltlake, Kolkata 700 064, India.
authors.forename: Bishnu P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700 032, India.
authors.forename: Arun K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Guha
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D001203:Ascomycota / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D048271:Chitosan / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D014867:Water; D048271:Chitosan
keywords: Antifungal activity; Chitosan; Fungus