Influence of Fungal Endophyte Infection on Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Activity in Grasses: Interaction between Lolium perenne and Different Strains of Neotyphodium lolii

Abstract

Lolium perenne is a major forage and turf grass, which is often naturally infected with a "wild-type" strain (E(WT)) of the fungal endophyte Neotyphodium lolii , establishing a symbiotic relationship. In this study, the impacts of different strains wild type E(WT), AR1 (E(AR1)) and AR37 (E(AR37)), of N. lolii on the phenolic profile, phenolic content, and antioxidant capacity of L. perenne were examined. Samples could be ranked according to their phenol content as follows: E(AR1) > E(AR37) ≥ E(-) > E(WT). Radical-scavenging assays showed the same relative ranking of extracts. Flavonoid glycosides and hydroxycinnamic acids were the most abundant polyphenols in L. perenne extracts. Chlorogenic acid and its derivatives were the major compounds responsible for the antioxidant activity. Infection with N. lolii significantly influenced L. perenne phenolic content and antioxidant activity. In conclusion, changes in phenolic composition were merely quantitative. Endophyte infection can have zero, positive, or negative effect on phenol content depending on the endophyte strain.

Plants and endophytes: equal partners in secondary metabolite production?

“…In a recent example in grasses (specifically in Lolium perenne) after infection with endophytes from the Clavicipitaceae family, an induction of phenols was observed (Qawasmeh et al 2012). However, depending on the type of endophyte, metabolites could also be The induction of plant metabolism can be caused by environmental signals such as abiotic stress factors or pathogens/herbivores, but also by the endophytes themselves.…”

“…leaf colors or flowering, where pigments and volatiles are synthesized reduced or remain unchanged. Major compounds were glycosylated flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acids; and chlorogenic acid was the major compound involved in an induction of the antioxidative activity of plant extracts after endophyte colonization (Qawasmeh et al 2012).…”

Biophenols of mints: Antioxidant, acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase and histone deacetylase inhibition activities targeting Alzheimer’s disease treatment

“…The stock solution of ABTS Å+ was prepared as described previously (Qawasmeh, Obied, Raman, & Wheatley, 2012). The working solution of ABTS Å+ was prepared by diluting an aliquot of ABTS Å+ stock solution to a final absorbance of 0.80 ± 0.03 at 734 nm.…”

Pathogen resistant advantage of endophyte-infected over endophyte-free Leymus chinensis is strengthened by pre-drought treatment

“…Lignin is one of important phenolic compounds, whose deposition is believed to play a crucial role in barricading the pathogen from invading the plant through physical exclusion (HammondKosack and Jones 1996; Zhao et al 2001). Thus elevated levels of lignin content might be correlated with plant resistance (Redman et al 1999;Funnell-Harris et al 2010;Qawasmeh et al 2012). It is commonly believed that SA levels are closely related with plant disease reaction and SA has an important effect on activating plant defense response to biotic stresses (Yang et al 1997;Edgar et al 2006;Vlot et al 2009).…”