Tobacco mosaic virus

Biotechnology

Virology

Pesticide

Ecology

In vivo

Virus

Sesquiterpene

Tithonia

Biochemistry

Botany

Biology

Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology

Unlike chemical pesticides, antiviral plants are biodegradable, replenishable and safe. In this study, 14 sesquiterpene compounds from Tithonia diversifolia were tested for their activities against Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) using the half-leaf method. Tagitinin C (Ses-2) and 1β-methoxydiversifolin-3-0-methyl ether (Ses-5) were found to have in vivo curative activities of 62.86% and 60.27% respectively, at concentrations of 100 μg/mL, respectively. In contrast, the in vivo curative inhibition rate of control agent ningnanmycin was 52.48%. Indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ID-ELISA) also verified Ses-2 and Ses-5 had higher inhibition activities than the control agent ningnanmycin. Additionally, qRT-PCR showed that both Ses-2 and Ses-5 can partly inhibit the expression of CP and RdRp, two genes that play key roles in TMV infection. When TMV started to systemically spread, Ses-2 inhibited CP expression while Ses-5 inhibited RdRp expression. These results suggest that the two bio-agents have anti-TMV activities and may be used as bio-pesticides to control the plant virus.

Anti-TMV activity and functional mechanisms of two sesquiterpenoids isolated from Tithonia diversifolia