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Efficacy of leaf extract fractions of Glycyrrhiza glabra L. against downy mildew of cucumber (Pseudoperonospora cubensis)

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Abstract

An ethanolic leaf extract of Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (licorice) was highly effective in former bioassays and semi-commercial trials in controlling cucumber downy mildew (efficacy up to 99.0 % in bioassays and 83.0 % in semi-commercial trials). In order to elucidate the active ingredients and the mode of action, licorice leaf extract was fractionated into six fractions of defined substance classes, of which the fraction containing acidic substances (F6) showed highest efficacy (97.6 %). The calculated EC50 values after a probit analysis of concentration series of crude extract and fraction F6 were concentrations of 1.0 % (crude extract) and 0.6 % (fraction F6). Interestingly, the slopes of the resulting graphs were significantly different, pointing to different modes of action for the two treatments. Three flavonoid compounds could be detected. The substances were glabranin, licoflavanon and pinocembrin. All three are known for their antimicrobial and antifungal capacity against plant and human pathogens. Besides these flavonoids, results, such as the different EC50 values, indicated that other compounds may be involved in the activity of fraction F6 against P. cubensis on cucumber.

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Acknowledgements

The authors cordially thank Julia Bahlo for in vitro and in vivo testing at Trifolio-M and Karin Bald for technical assistance at JKI. Prof. Dr. Cornelia Ullrich-Eberius and Prof. Dr. Gerhard Thiel are thanked for discussion of data and advice. Dr. Andreas Schmitt is thanked for electronical reworking of graphs. The financial support of the project by the German Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV) (Federal Scheme for Organic Farming project 08OE188), and the Eurostars programme (powered by EUREKA and the European Community, project E!4428-Greenprotection; national funding through the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), project 01QE0820) is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Julius Kühn-Institut, Institute for Biological Control, Heinrichstraße 243, 64287, Darmstadt, Germany

    Andrea Scherf & Annegret Schmitt

  2. Trifolio-M GmbH, Dr.-Hans-Wilhelmi-Weg 1, 35633, Lahnau, Germany

    Jonas Treutwein & Hubertus Kleeberg

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  1. Andrea Scherf
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  2. Jonas Treutwein
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  3. Hubertus Kleeberg
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  4. Annegret Schmitt
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Correspondence to Annegret Schmitt.

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Scherf, A., Treutwein, J., Kleeberg, H. et al. Efficacy of leaf extract fractions of Glycyrrhiza glabra L. against downy mildew of cucumber (Pseudoperonospora cubensis). Eur J Plant Pathol 134, 755–762 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-012-0051-0

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