Background:
Rhamnolipids showed an antimicrobial activity that is applicable to a variety of pathogenic microorganisms but mechanisms are mostly focused on their directly inhibitory effect.
Results:
This study showed that disease incidence was obviously decreased when cherry tomatoes were treated with rhamnolipids no matter before or after Alternaria alternata inoculation. The activities of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were increased in rhamnolipids-pretreated cherry tomato inoculated with A. alternata within 12 h, while contents of reactive oxygen species (ROS) decreased. Moreover, resistant response of cherry tomato treated with RLs and A. alternata was also attributed to activities stimulation of ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione reductase (GR), accompanied with an increase of reduced glutathione (GSH), which is beneficial for scavenging excessive H2 O2 .
Conclusion:
These results indicated that rhamnolipids could effectively reduce fungal disease of harvested cherry tomato through inducing the fruit resistance and mechanisms involved in elicitation of antioxidative reactions such as the ability of scavenging excess ROS.
Rhamnolipids induce oxidative stress responses in cherry tomato fruit to Alternaria alternata. Available from: http://www.researchgate.net/publication/283307706_Rhamnolipids_induce_oxidative_stress_responses_in_cherry_tomato_fruit_to_Alternaria_alternata [accessed Nov 10, 2015].