Growth inhibition of plant pathogenic fungi by hydroxy fatty acids

Hydroxy fatty acids are plant self-defense substances (Masui ef al, Phytochemistry 1989). Three types of hydroxy fatty acids: 10-hydroxystearic acid (HSA), 7S,10S-dihydroxy-8(E)-octadecenoic acid (DOD), and 12,13,17-trihydroxy-9(Z)-octadecenoic acid (THOA) were tested against the following plant pathogenic fungi: Erysiphe graminis f sp tritici (common disease name, wheat powdery mildew); Puccinia recondita (wheat leaf rust); Pseudocercosporella herpotrichoides (wheat foot rot); Septoria nodorum (wheat glume blotch); Pyricularia grisea (rice blast); Rhizoctonia solani (rice sheath blight); Phytophthora infestans (potato late blight); and Botrytis cinerea (cucumber botrytis). At a concentration of 200 ppm, both HSA and DOD showed no fungal disease control activity, However, THOA at the same concentration showed weak activity and provided disease control (percent) of the following plant pathogenic fungi: Erysiphe graminis 77%; Puccinia recondita 86%; Phytophthora infestans 56%; and Botrytis cinerea 63%. The position of the hydroxy groups on the fatty acids seems to play an important role in activity against specific fungi.