Levan induced the resistance of tomato against Botrytis cinerea and pepper against Phytophthora capsici
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, cilt.337, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 337
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.149622
- Dergi Adı: International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, Chemical Abstracts Core, Compendex, EMBASE, INSPEC, MEDLINE
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Fructan, Pathogen, Solanaceae
- Marmara Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Pathogenic challenges constrain plant growth, and the application of pesticides remains the primary approach to control plant diseases worldwide. However, overuse of chemical fungicides can lead to pathogen resistance and environmental contamination. In recent years, compounds that act as induced resistance stimuli have gained increasing attention. Levan, a β-2,6-linked fructan, has been reported to induce disease resistance in several plant species, though its effect on solanaceous plants and the underlying defense mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, foliar application of levan reduced necrotic lesion area by more than 50 % in tomato infected with Botrytis cinerea and pepper infected with Phytophthora capsici, but not in tomato challenged with Ralstonia solanacearum, without compromising plant growth. Following levan treatment, a higher proportion of necrotic areas fell into the smallest size class. The induced resistance persisted for up to 6 days in tomato and 3 days in pepper. Consistent with previous findings on B. cinerea, levan did not directly inhibit the growth of P. capsici. Physiologically, levan treatment led to a 45 % increase in H₂O₂ content in tomato at 108 h and an 84 % accumulation of proline in pepper at 144 h. Both species showed enhanced peroxidase and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activities, increased lignin deposition, elevated chlorophyll content, and upregulation of defense-related genes associated with salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and ethylene pathways. These results suggest that levan may function as an elicitor in tomato and a priming agent in pepper, depending on species-specific response thresholds, and can enhance plant defense through multiple pathways.