Isolation of tyrosol the main phytotoxic metabolite produced by the edible fungus Agaricus litoralis

Abstract

The phytotoxicity activity of EtOAc extract obtained from Agaricus litoralis showed high phytotoxicity on tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) leaves. A well-known phytotoxic metabolite: tyrosol [2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-ethanol], was isolated and identified from A. litoralis by spectroscopic methods. Phytotoxic activity of tyrosol was tested on seven agrarian plants: eggplant (Solanum melongena L.), fig (Ficus carica L.), apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.), peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch), lemon (Citrus limon (L.) Osbeck), Cucurbita (Cucurbita L.), grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) and two wild plants: willow oak (Quercus phellos L.), blackberry (Rubus fruticosus L.) using the leaf puncture assay, it showed weak phytotoxicity. The highest effect was observed on grapevine, apricot, peach, cucurbita and blackberry at 1 mg/ml; moderately phytotoxicity on eggplant, less phytotoxicity on fig, lemon and no necrosis on willow oak leaves. Tyrosol has been previously isolated from microorganisms, fungi, and plants, this being the first record from Agaricus litoralis as a phytotoxic metabolite