Abstract
A lipopeptide-producing endophytic Bacillus methyltrophicus TEB1 strain exhibited potent antifungal activity against Phoma tracheiphila. Lipopeptide production started at the early growth phase plateaued after 36 h of culture where it reduced the mycelium growth by 80%. The crude lipopeptide extract harvested at the stationary phase efficiently inhibited the growth of P. tracheiphila mycelium and MIC values displaying 50 and 90% inhibition of conidia germination were around 47.5 and 100 μg ml(-1) , respectively. Increasing lipopeptide extract till 3 mg ml(-1) induced 10% swelling and 3% crumbling of P. tracheiphila conidia whereas 5 mg ml(-1) induced 40% swelling and 20% crumbling. Mass spectrometry analysis of the lipopeptide extract indicated that surfactin production took place from 12 to 20 h, iturin A from 16 to 72 h, and fengycin from 12 to 72 h and that the main active compound against P. tracheiphila was identified as C15 iturin A lipopeptide. Iturin A appeared as a potential biological control agent able to substitute the currently used chemical pesticides in agriculture.