POTENCIAL ANTIFÚNGICO E AVALIAÇÕES COMPORTAMENTAIS E GENOTÓXICAS EM MODELOS ANIMAIS DO EXTRATO METANÓLICO DE SERJANIA ERECTA

Abstract

The widespread use of pesticides has been highlighted for control and prevention of diseases resulting from pests that are associated with the decline in profitability and agricultural production, but such products cause changes to ecosystems and negatively affect biodiversity. Pesticide contamination is a factor that impacts wildlife in a scenario of high agricultural growth. Some phytopathogenic fungi, such as Fusarium sp., Rhizoctonia sp., and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, reduce crop productivity like rice, corn, and peanuts, causing productive and financial losses. These pathogens control is conducted using synthetic fungicides, which are associated with harmful effects on non- target organisms. On the other hand, an alternative to this type of control is the development of plant-based fungicides. The methanolic extract of Serjania erecta Radlk, a native species of the Cerrado, has already shown the ability to inhibit fungal growth. However, there is a knowledge gap in studies of S. erecta effects on control of agronomic interest fungi. Therefore, in the present study, it was investigated whether the extract of S. erecta inhibits the growth of the phytopathogenic fungi Fusarium sp., Rhizoctonia sp., and S. sclerotiorum. It was also evaluated the frequency of mutagenic damage and the substrate preference and swimming behavior of Leptodactylus labyrinthicus tadpoles exposed to different concentrations of Serjania extract and the fungicide pyraclostrobin/epoxiconazole (P-EP). The methanolic leaf extract of S. erecta showed Relative Inhibition (RI) for the three studied fungi, being more effective against S. sclerotiorum, demonstrating an effect comparable to that of the commercial fungicide P- EP. Both the fungicide and the extract showed that certain concentrations influence the frequency of micronuclei and other nuclear abnormalities. These findings indicate that S. erecta extract is effective against fungi that are harmful to agricultural activity. However, since the extract has deleterious effects on L. labyrinthicus tadpoles, it was suggested that the use of this substance in agriculture should not be indiscriminate. Also it was shown that the micronucleus test is a promising method as a tool to evaluate the effect of new substances on non-target organisms.