Objective: To compare histopathology and PCR based detection in diagnosis of experimentally induced toxoplasmosis of RH human strain of the parasite in murine models. Methods: A comparison of histopathology and PCR based detection was done to diagnose experimentally induced toxoplasmosis in ten inbred swiss albino mice after intraperitoneal inoculation of 100 tachyzoites of laboratory mantained human RH strain of the parasite. Tissue samples from lung, liver, spleen, brain, heart and kidney were taken and processed for histopathological examination while all the samples also were subjected to PCR, using primers directed to the multicopy of SAG 3 gene, in dublicates. Results: Histopathology revealed presence of tachyzoites only in liver while along with lung, liver, spleen and brain tissue yielded desired positive PCR amplicons. Conclusions: The SAG 3 based PCR is able to diagnose toxoplasmosis in those tissues which are declared negative by histopathological assay.

The effect of methanolic extract of cashewnut (Anacardium occidentale) shell extract was seen on conidial germination of Erysiphe pisi and powdery mildew development in pea (Pisum sativum). Maximum conidial germination inhibition of E. pisi on glass slides was observed at 300 ppm. Similar effect on floated pea leaves was observed after 48 h at the same concentration. Conidial germination on intact untreated pea leaves was also assessed on II and IV nodal leaves while IV and II nodal leaves were treated with the extract and vice versa. There was tremendous reduction in conidial germination on all the nodal leaves. The disease intensity of pea powdery mildew was significantly reduced by methanolic extract of cashewnut shells. Maximum reduction was observed with 200 ppm where 39% disease intensity was recorded in comparison to 96.53% in the control. The phenolic acid content of pea leaves following treatments with this extract varied and no definite pattern was observed. Out of several phenolic compounds, namely, gallic, ferulic, chlorogenic, and cinnamic acids, only gallic acid was found to be present consistently in all the treatments with varied amounts.
Anacardium ; Gallic Acid ; Germination ; Glass ; Hydroxybenzoates ; Methanol ; Peas ; Phenol

The alkaloid securinine was assessed against spore germination of some plant pathogenic and saprophytic fungi (Alternaria alternata, Alternaria brassicae, Alternaria brassicicola, Curvularia lunata, Curvularia maculans, Curvularia pallenscens, Colletotrichum musae, Colletotrichum sp., Erysiphe pisi, Helminthosporium echinoclova, Helminthosporium spiciferum, Heterosporium sp.). Spore germinations of all the tested fungi were inhibited. Alternaria brassicicola, C. lunata, C. pallenscens and H. spiciferum were highly sensitive as complete inhibition of spore germination was observed at very low concentrations (200 ppm).
Alternaria ; Azepines ; Brassica ; Colletotrichum ; Fungi ; Germination ; Helminthosporium ; Heterocyclic Compounds, Bridged-Ring ; Lactones ; Musa ; Phyllanthus ; Piperidines ; Plants ; Spores

1-Corydalmine,an alkaloid isolated from roots of Corydalis chaerophylla inhibited spore germination of some plant pathogenic as well as saprophytic fungi e.g. Alternaria brassicae, A. brassicicola, A. solani, Curvularia lunata, C. maculans, C. sp., C. pallscens, Erysiphe pisi, Fusarium udum, Helminthosporium species,H. penniseti and a Heterosporium species. 1-Corydalmine significantly inhibited spore germination of all the fungi at 100 to 1500 ppm. It was effective against all the fungi at 1500 ppm. C. lunata was highly sensitive to this chemical even at 250 ppm.
Alternaria ; Brassica ; Corydalis* ; Fungi* ; Fusarium ; Germination* ; Helminthosporium ; Plants ; Spores*

Biochemical variability among 20 Indian isolates of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum collected from different hosts/soil samples from different localities in India is reported. High Performance Liquid Chromatographic (HPLC) analysis of ethyl acetate fraction of culture filtrate, mycelia, sclerotia and sclerotial exudate showed 15~23 peaks but only 11 could be identified. They were tannic, gallic, oxalic, caffeic, vanillic, ferulic, O-coumeric, chlorogenic, cinnamic, salicylic and gentisic acids. The amount of phenolic compounds varied among the culture filtrates, mycelia, sclerotia and sclerotial exudates of S. sclerotiorum.
Ascomycota* ; Exudates and Transudates ; India ; Phenol

Narceine methyl ester and narceine are potent alkaloids which were isolated from Corydalis longipes were found effective in vitro at very low concentration, i.e., 100~500 ppm against spore germination of some test plant pathogenic fungi (Alternaria solani, A. tagetica, Cercospora abelmoschi, Curvularia maculans, Erysiphe cichoracearum, E. pisi, Fusarium udum, Helminthosporium oryzae, H. penniseti, Ustilago cynodontis). Among the test, phytopathogens the spores of F. udum, C. maculans and H. penniseti were highly sensitive at 200 ppm. However, spores of E. pisi, A. solani and A. tagetica were less sensitive at low concentration followed by other test fungi. Most of the fungi showed zero or nearly zero percent spore germination at 400 and 500 ppm.
Alkaloids ; Corydalis* ; Fungi* ; Fusarium ; Germination ; Helminthosporium ; Oryza ; Plants ; Spores ; Ustilago

Crude extracts and active principles from medicinal plants have shown potential role in controlling plant diseases in glasshouses as well as in fields as one of the safest and ecofriendly methods. The effect of nor-securinine (an alkaloid) isolated from Phyllanthus amarus has been seen against spore germination of some fungi (Alternaria brassicae, A. solani, Curvularia pennisetti, Curvularia sp., Erysiphe pisi, Helminthosporium frumentacei) as well as pea powdery mildew (Erysiphe pisi) under glasshouse conditions. The sensitivity of fungi to nor-securinine varied considerably. Nor-securinine was effective against most of the fungi. H. frumentacei was more sensitive even at the lowest concentration (1,000 microg/ml). Likewise conidia of E. pisi were also inhibited in partially or completely appressorium formation. Pre-inoculation treatment showed greater efficacy than post-inoculation in inhibiting powdery mildew development on pea plants in a glasshouse. Maximum inhibition occurred at 2000 microg/ml
Brassica ; Complex Mixtures ; Fungi* ; Germination ; Helminthosporium ; Peas ; Phyllanthus ; Plant Diseases ; Plants, Medicinal ; Spores ; Spores, Fungal

Medicinal plants play important roles in controlling plant diseases as one of the safest and ecofriendly methods. These plants have been used in the form of crude extracts as well as active principles in vitro and under field conditions to control plant diseases. Among the active principles, alkaloids have shown significant antifungal activity. We have investigated the effect of two alkaloids viz., (-)-corydahnine and (-)-isocorypahnine isolated from Corydalis chaerophylla, against spore germination of some plant pathogenic and saprophytic fungal spores. Significant inhibition of spore germination at 100 microg/ml was seen against Curvularia penniseti, Curvularia sp. and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides by (-)-corydahnine but (-)-isocorypalmine was also effective against fungi included in the experiment.
Alkaloids* ; Colletotrichum ; Complex Mixtures ; Corydalis* ; Fungi* ; Germination ; Plant Diseases ; Plants ; Plants, Medicinal ; Spores ; Spores, Fungal

N-Methylhydrasteine hydroxylactam and 1-methoxyberberine chloride, both alkaloids, extracted from Corydalis longipes have been assayed for their activities against two powdery mildews. The spore germination of Erysiphe cichoracearum on detached leaf of balsam(Impatiens balsaminia) following pre- and post-inoculation treatments by their mixture has shown high efficacy against the pathogen at 100, 200 and 300 microg/ml. The mixture was also effective at both pre- and post-inoculation treatments at 500, 1000, 1500 microg/ml doses against E. pisi causing pea powdery mildew in pea(Pisum sativum) under field conditions. The significant efficacy of the mixture of two compounds against spore germination on detached leaves of balsam and also under field conditions in pea warrants its inclusion in trials against some other diseases under field conditions.
Alkaloids* ; Corydalis* ; Germination ; Peas* ; Plants* ; Spores

The inhibitory activity of ent-norsecurinine alkaloid was evaluated against spore germination of some plant pathogenic fungi (Curvularia maculans, Curvularia species, C. palliscens, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Colletotrichum species, Alternaria solani, A. brassicae, Fusarium udum, Helminthosporium echinoclova and H. penniseti). It inhibited spore germination of all the test fungi. C. maculans, C. species, and C. palliscens were the most sensitive as complete inhibition of spore germination was observed at 1000 ppm. A. solani was not inhibited by this chemical.
Alternaria ; Brassica ; Colletotrichum ; Fungi* ; Fusarium ; Germination* ; Helminthosporium ; Plants ; Spores*