ARS | Publication request: A NEW 2D-TLC BIOAUTOGRAPHY METHOD FOR THE DISCOVERY OF NOVEL FUNGICIDAL AGENTS TO CONTROL PLANT PATHOGENS

Submitted to: Journal of Natural Products
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: December 22, 1999
Publication Date: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Successful discovery of natural antifungal agents necessitates the development of new minaturized microbial bioassay techniques and protocols. This new method takes advantage of the resolving power of 2 dimentional thin layer chromography (2D-TLC) to separate chemically diverse mixtures found in crude plant and algal extracts. Two-dimential TLC bioautography is best suited to resolving extracts that contain difficult to separate lipophilic natural products. Antifungal metabolites can be readily located on the plates by visually observing clear zones where active compounds inhibited fungal growth. This method eliminates the need for the development of large numbers of plates in multiple solvent systems, reduces the amount of waste solvents for disposal, and substantially reduces the time needed to identify active compounds.

Technical Abstract: A new bioassay has been developed that combines the simplicity of direct bioautography with the improved chramatographic resolution of 2 dimentional thin layer chromography. Mixtures of structurally diverse antifungal agents were tested to establish the utility of this method in the discovery of new natural products with activity against agriculturally important fungal pathogens.