Production and Antifungal Activity of Secondary Metabolites of Trichoderma virens

Abstract

Toxins namely gliotoxin, dimethyl gliotoxin, viridin and viridiol were isolated from chloroform extract of 15 days old culture filtrate of a strain of Trichoderma virens (ITC-4777) grown in potato dextrose broth. Their structures were confirmed by 1H-NMR, and mass spectroscopy. Gliotoxin was found to be active against Rhizoctonia bataticola (ED50 0.03 µg ml-1), Macrophomina phaseolina (ED50 1.76 µg ml”1), Pythium deharyanum (ED50 29.38 µg ml1), Pythium aphanidermatum (ED50 12.02 µg ml-1), Sclerotium rolfsii (ED50 2.11 µg ml-1), Rhizoctonia solani (ED50 3.18 µg ml−1). Decrease in production of gliotoxin was observed with increase in days of incubation of culture of T. virens. Maximum production of gliotoxin was observed in the 7 day old culture filtrate.