Extracts of the Native Brazilian Tree Garcinia gardneriana Inhibit Urediniospore Germination of Coffee Leaf Rust Fungus

The fungal Hemileia vastatrix is the causal agent of coffee leaf rust, one of the worst and devastating disease in coffee cultures worldwide. As a result of our research on natural products for the development of novel agrochemicals, we found that the hexane extract from leaves of the Brazilian medicinal plant Garcinia gardneriana, at 500 mu g mL(-1), inhibited in 98% the germination of H. vastatrix urediniospores. This extract showed no phytotoxicity when tested for seed germination and seedling growth inhibitory activity using sensible plant species. Also, the hexane extract from leaves was tested for anti-acetylcholinesterase activity, which constitutes a mechanism of action of major commercial insecticides used in agriculture, and showed low activity even at concentrations about two times higher than the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) found in the antifungal assays. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis showed that the hexane extract is constituted mainly by the pentacyclic triterpene lupeol, together with a series of sesquiterpenes as minor components. This is the first report on the investigation of antifungal, phytotoxic and acetylcholinesterase activities of extracts from leaves of G. gardneriana. These findings indicate that G. gardneriana may constitute a promising source of natural products for controlling the coffee leaf rust fungus.