Open Access
Agronomic and metabolomic side-effects of a divergent selection for indol-3-ylmethylglucosinolate content in kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala)
(MDPI, 2021) Poveda Arias, Jorge; Velasco, Pablo; Haro, Antonio de; Johansen, Tor J.; McAlvay, Alex C.; Möllers, Christian; Mølmann, Jorgen A.B.; Ordiales, Elena; Rodríguez, Víctor Manuel; Agronomía, Biotecnología y Alimentación; Agronomia, Bioteknologia eta Elikadura
Brassica oleracea var. acephala (kale) is a cruciferous vegetable widely cultivated for its leaves and flower buds in Europe and a food of global interest as a 'superfood'. Brassica crops accumulate phytochemicals called glucosinolates (GSLs) which play an important role in plant defense against biotic stresses. Studies carried out to date suggest that GSLs may have a role in the adaptation of plants to different environments, but direct evidence is lacking. We grew two kale populations divergently selected for high and low indol-3-ylmethylGSL (IM) content (H-IM and L-IM, respectively) in different environments and analyzed agronomic parameters, GSL profiles and metabolomic profile. We found a significant increase in fresh and dry foliar weight in H-IM kale populations compared to L-IM in addition to a greater accumulation of total GSLs, indole GSLs and, specifically, IM and 1-methoxyindol-3-ylmethylGSL (1MeOIM). Metabolomic analysis revealed a significant different concentration of 44 metabolites in H-IM kale populations compared to L-IM. According to tentative peak identification from MS interpretation, 80% were phenolics, including flavonoids (kaempferol, quercetin and anthocyanin derivates, including acyl flavonoids), chlorogenic acids (esters of hydroxycinnamic acids and quinic acid), hydroxycinnamic acids (ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid) and coumarins. H-IM kale populations could be more tolerant to diverse environmental conditions, possibly due to GSLs and the associated metabolites with predicted antioxidant potential.
Open Access
Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) biomass as a resource for obtaining glucosinolate extracts to control postharvest fungal diseases
(Springer, 2025-05-27) Eugui Arrizabalaga, Daniel; Fernández San Millán, Alicia; Velasco, Pablo; Veramendi Charola, Jon; Rodríguez, Víctor Manuel; Poveda Arias, Jorge; Agronomía, Biotecnología y Alimentación; Agronomia, Bioteknologia eta Elikadura; Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology - IMAB
Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) is a crop of great agronomic and economic importance worldwide. Because its edible parts are the inflorescences, large quantities of non-commercial biomass are produced each year in the field and in the food industry. In order to develop a circular economy around the broccoli crop, the present work develops glucosinolates (GSL) extracts with antimicrobial capacity for postharvest use in tomato, apple and table white grape against fungal diseases produced by the pathogens Botrytis cinerea, Alternaria alternata and Penicillium expansum. GSL extracts from organic crop management reported a higher content of GSLs than conventional management. These extracts are not effective in the control of A. alternata and P. expansum, possibly due to the absence of sinigrin. Furthermore, the extracts were ineffective in the control of B. cinerea on table white grapes, possibly due to the non-climacteric fruit condition and an absence in the induction of ethylene-mediated plant defenses. However, intact GSL extracts were effective in controlling B. cinerea on apple, while the addition of myrosinase enzyme caused effectiveness also on tomato and apple. Therefore, obtaining GSL extracts with biopesticidal capacity against B. cinerea in postharvest could be a circular economy strategy for broccoli agriculture and industry.
Open Access
Endophytic fungi from kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) modify roots-glucosinolate profile and promote plant growth in cultivated Brassica species. First description of Pyrenophora gallaeciana
(Frontiers Media, 2022) Poveda Arias, Jorge; Rodríguez, Víctor Manuel; Díaz Urbano, María; Sklenář, František; Saati-Santamaría, Zaki; Menéndez, Esther; Velasco, Pablo; Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology - IMAB
Endophytic fungi of crops can promote plant growth through various mechanisms of action (i.e., improve nutrient uptake and nutrient use efficiency, and produce and modulate plant hormones). The genus Brassica includes important horticultural crops, which have been little studied in their interaction with endophytic fungi. Previously, four endophytic fungi were isolated from kale roots (Brassica oleracea var. acephala), with different benefits for their host, including plant growth promotion, cold tolerance, and induction of resistance to pathogens (Xanthomonas campestris) and pests (Mamestra brassicae). In the present work, the molecular and morphological identification of the four different isolates were carried out, describing them as the species Acrocalymma vagum, Setophoma terrestris, Fusarium oxysporum, and the new species Pyrenophora gallaeciana. In addition, using a representative crop of each Brassica U’s triangle species and various in vitro biochemical tests, the ability of these fungi to promote plant growth was described. In this sense, the four fungi used promoted the growth of B. rapa, B. napus, B. nigra, B. juncea, and B. carinata, possibly due to the production of auxins, siderophores, P solubilization or cellulase, xylanase or amylase activity. Finally, the differences in root colonization between the four endophytic fungi and two pathogens (Leptosphaeria maculans and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) and the root glucosinolate profile were studied, at different times. In this way, how the presence of progoitrin in the roots reduces their colonization by endophytic and pathogenic fungi was determined, while the possible hydrolysis of sinigrin to fungicidal products controls the colonization of endophytic fungi, but not of pathogens.
Open Access
First study on the root endophytic fungus Trichoderma hamatum as an entomopathogen: development of a fungal bioinsecticide against cotton leafworm (Spodoptera littoralis)
(Elsevier, 2023) Lana, Maite; Simón de Goñi, Oihane; Velasco, Pablo; Rodríguez, Víctor Manuel; Caballero Murillo, Primitivo; Poveda Arias, Jorge; Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology - IMAB; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
Cotton leaf worm (Spodoptera littoralis) is a pest that produces important losses in horticultural and ornamental crops in greenhouse, being classified as quarantine pest A2 by EPPO. One of the strategies proposed to control agricultural pests in a health and environmentally friendly way is biological control with entomopathogenic fungi. The genus of filamentous fungi Trichoderma includes different species with direct (infection, antibiosis, anti-feeding, etc.) and indirect (systemic activation of plant defenses) insecticidal capacity, however, the species T. hamatum has never been described previously as entomopathogenic. In this work, the entomopathogenic capacity of T. hamatum on S. littoralis L3 larvae was analyzed by applying spores and fungal filtrates (topically and orally). Infection by spores was compared with the commercial entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana, obtaining similar results with respect to the production of larval mortality. Oral application of spores reported high mortality and fungal colonization of larvae, however, T. hamatum did not show chitinase activity when grown in the presence of S. littoralis tissues. Therefore, infection of S. littoralis larvae by T. hamatum is through natural openings such as mouth, anus or spiracles. With respect to the application of filtrates, only those obtained from the liquid culture of T. hamatum in contact with S. littoralis tissues reported a significant reduction in larval growth. Metabolomic analysis of the filtrates determined that the filtrate with insecticidal capacity presented the siderophore rhizoferrin in large quantities, which could be responsible for this activity. However, the production of this siderophore had never been previously described in Trichoderma and its insecticidal capacity was unknown. In conclusion, T. hamatum presents entomopathogenic capacity against S. littoralis larvae through the application of spores and filtrates, and both ways could be the basis for the development of efficient bioinsecticides against the pest.
Open Access
Trichoderma hamatum increases productivity, glucosinolate content and antioxidant potential of different leafy Brassica vegetables
(MDPI, 2021) Velasco, Pablo; Rodríguez, Víctor Manuel; Soengas, Pilar; Poveda Arias, Jorge; Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology - IMAB
Brassica crops include important vegetables known as 'superfoods' due to the content of phytochemicals of great interest to human health, such as glucosinolates (GSLs) and antioxidant compounds. On the other hand, Trichoderma is a genus of filamentous fungi that includes several species described as biostimulants and/or biological control agents in agriculture. In a previous work, an endophytic strain of Trichoderma hamatum was isolated from kale roots (Brassica oleracea var. acephala), describing its ability to induce systemic resistance in its host plant. In the present work, some of the main leafy Brassica crops (kale, cabbage, leaf rape and turnip greens) have been root‐inoculated with T. hamatum, having the aim to verify the possible capacity of the fungus as a biostimulant in productivity as well as the foliar content of GSLs and its antioxidant potential, in order to improve these 'superfoods'. The results reported, for the first time, an increase in the productivity of kale (55%), cabbage (36%) and turnip greens (46%) by T. hamatum root inoculation. Furthermore, fungal inoculation reported a significant increase in the content of total GSLs in cabbage and turnip greens, mainly of the GSLs sinigrin and gluconapin, respectively, along with an increase in their antioxidant capacity. Therefore, T. hamatum could be a good agricultural biostimulant in leafy Brassica crops, increasing the content of GSLs and antioxidant potential of great food and health interest.