AUTHOR=Kim Jong H. , Chan Kathleen L. , Hart-Cooper William M. , Palumbo Jeffrey D. , Orts William J. TITLE=High-efficiency fungal pathogen intervention for seed protection: new utility of long-chain alkyl gallates as heat-sensitizing agents JOURNAL=Frontiers in Fungal Biology VOLUME=4 YEAR=2023 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/fungal-biology/articles/10.3389/ffunb.2023.1172893 DOI=10.3389/ffunb.2023.1172893 ISSN=2673-6128 ABSTRACT=
Control of food-contaminating fungi, especially pathogens that produce mycotoxins, is problematic since effective method for intervening fungal infection on food crops is often limited. Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) chemicals, such as natural compounds or their structural derivatives, can be developed as antimicrobial agents for sustainable food/crop production. This study identified that long-chain alkyl gallates, i.e., octyl-, nonyl-, and decyl gallates (OG (octyl 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid), NG, DG), can function as heat-sensitizing agents that effectively prevent fungal contamination. Out of twenty-eight candidate compounds and six conventional antifungal agents examined, the heat-sensitizing capacity was unique to the long-chain alkyl gallates, where OG exhibited the highest activity, followed by DG and NG. Since OG is a GRAS compound classified by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), further