A novel group of theophylline-based ionic liquids displayed efficient antifeedant, fungicidal and bactericidal activities, proving to be promising for potential applications.

Plant diseases caused by pathogenic fungi generate large losses in crops and pose a threat to human and animal health. Since the European Green Deal put a strong emphasis on the need to reduce the use of chemical plant protection, interest in biological control has been growing. The present study aimed to investigate the efficacy of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from silages in the control of pathogenic fungi through in vitro, mini-plot, and field experiments. The tested LAB showed antifungal activity in vitro towards strains from the Fusarium, Alternaria, Rhizoctonia, Colletotrichum, and Sclerotinia genera; however, only five strains reached an activity ≥ 400 AU/mL towards all pathogenic fungi. The selected strains demonstrated high efficacy in reducing disease symptoms in plants in the mini-plot and field experiments. In the mini-plot experiment, stem smut of rye and wheat common bunt were reduced in the range 34.5–94.7% and 24.8–99.6%, respectively. In the field experiments, the efficacy of LAB in the control of rye and wheat disease differed and reached over 90% in some trials. The effectiveness of LAB in the control of seedling blight did not exceed 70%. A significant increase in yield (from 42.86 to 195.65%) was observed mainly in wheat cultivation. The increase in rye yield was observed only in chosen trials. No phytotoxicity was observed. The results indicate the potential possibilities of using LAB as a biocontrol agent.

An increasing number of studies have found that modified mycotoxins, such as free mycotoxins, naturally occur in food, and severely impact food safety. The present study investigated concentrations of trichothecenes nivalenol (NIV), deoxynivalenol (DON), and zearalenone (ZEN), together with their modified forms, nivalenol-3-glucoside (NIV-3G), deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside (DON-3G), and zearalenone-14-glucoside (ZEN-14G) and zearalenone-14-sulfate (ZEN-14S), respectively, at successive stages of malt loaf production (flour, dough kneading/fermentation, loaf baking). Toxins in bakery products originate in flour produced from wheat grain that is naturally contaminated with Fusarium culmorum. Mycotoxin concentrations were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry, and did not significantly change during the successive stages of bread production. After the dough kneading/fermentation stage, concentrations of NIV-3G and DON-3G were slightly increased, whereas those of ZEN and ZEN-14S were slightly decreased. The largest average decrease (21%) was found in ZEN-14G. After the baking stage, the average concentrations of NIV-3G, DON-3G, ZEN-14S, and ZEN-14G in the loaf crumb and crust decreased by 23%, 28%, 27%, and 20%, respectively, compared with those in the dough. During this technical process, the concentration of ZEN-14G in loaf crumb significantly decreased by an average of 48%, and those of ZEN, ZEN-14S, and ZEN-14G in loaf crust decreased by an average of 29%, 42%, and 48%, respectively. Considering the possibility of modified mycotoxins degradation to free forms, as well as the ability to synthesize them from free forms during technological processes, it would be prudent to consider them together during analysis.

Ensuring food safety and consumer health are crucial elements of sustainable food safety management, requiring the use of substances that inhibit the growth of undesirable microorganisms at various stages of production. The negative impact of many of these on human health and the environment has led to increased interest in alternative solutions, such as plant extracts. The aim of this study was to determine the biological activity of extracts obtained from Nigella sativa seeds using various methods, including Soxhlet and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) using hexane and methanol and supercritical CO₂ extraction (SFE) assisted with methanol. The content of polyphenolic compounds, their composition, and biological activity depended on the extraction method and solvent type. All extracts exhibited antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria (Listeria monocytogenes, Priestia megaterium, and Staphylococcus aureus), Gram-negative bacteria (Salmonella Enteritidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli), yeasts (Candida albicans and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa), and filamentous fungi (Alternaria brassicicola, Pythium sp., Fusarium culmorum, and F. graminearum). The MIC values were in the range of <0.125 to 2 mg/mL for bacteria and 1 to 8 mg/mL for fungi, depending on the extract. Microscopic observations performed using optical and fluorescence microscopy showed changes in the viability and morphology of the fungal cells. TPC values ranged from 9.877 mg/g in hexane extract obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction to 39.064 mg/g in extract obtained by Soxhlet method with methanol. No negative effects of the extracts on wheat seed germination were observed. Analysis of the composition of polyphenolic compounds revealed the presence of vanillic acid, hydroxybenzoic acid, syringic acid, protocatechuic acid, and p-coumaric, catechin, and epicatechin acids in all extracts. The extracts obtained with methanol, both by the Soxhlet method and by ultrasound-assisted extraction, also contained gallic acid, myricetin, luteolin, apigenin, and sinapic acid. In all extracts, thymoquinone ranged from 8.344 mg/g to 63.125 mg/g of extract, which was detected with the highest concentration in hexane extracts.

The development of models describing the influence of temperature on Tilletia laevis and Tilletia caries teliospores germination was the aim of the study conducted under laboratory condition. Teliospores were collected from infected ears of winter wheat Nadobna cultivar grown on the plots at the Experimental Stationon Institute of Plant Protection – National Research Institute in Winna Góra 60 kilometers south of Poznań. The water suspension of teliospores was plated on Petri dishes coated with a thin layer of water agar. Teliospores were incubated at the following temperature: 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25°C. Teliospores germination varied depending on a temperature. The most germinated teliospores were observed at 15°C for T. caries and at 15 and 10°C for T. laevis. The germinated teliospores were not recorded at 25°C. The relationship between the temperature and the germination of teliospores were expressed by a polynomials of the third degree. The models were used in the computer application designed to visualize the effect of temperature on the germination of spores of T. laevis and T. caries. Celem przeprowadzonych badań było opracowanie modeli matematycznych opisujących wpływ temperatury otoczenia na kiełkowanie teliospor Tilletia laevis sprawcy śnieci gładkiej pszenicy oraz Tilletia caries sprawcy śnieci cuchnącej pszenicy. Teliospory pozyskiwano z porażonych kłosów pszenicy ozimej odmiany Nadobna, z poletek zlokalizowanych na terenie Polowej Stacji Doświadczalnej Instytutu Ochrony Roślin – Państwowego Instytutu Badawczego w Winnej Górze. Wodną zawiesinę zarodników nanoszono w równej objętości na płytki Petriego pokryte cienką warstwą agaru wodnego. Teliospory inkubowano w temperaturach: 5, 10, 15, 20 i 25°C. Kiełkowanie teliospor było zróżnicowane w zależności od temperatury. Najwięcej skiełkowanych teliospor T. caries zaobserwowano w temperaturze 15°C, a T. laevis w temperaturach 15 i 10°C. W temperaturze 25°C nie odnotowano kiełkujących zarodników. Zależność między temperaturą a kiełkowaniem teliospor przedstawiono za pomocą wielomianów trzeciego stopnia, które wykorzystano przy opracowaniu aplikacji komputerowej przeznaczonej do wizualizacji wpływu temperatury na kiełkowanie zarodników T. laevis i T. caries.