State of Science :: Antioxidants
Grass Flavonoid Shows Potential to Control a Common Grape Plant Disease
May 2004
Antioxidant flavonoids are produced by plants to defend against pests and other sources of stress. Many of these plant secondary metabolites also promote human health by scavenging free-radicals that can damage cells, trigger diseases, and accelerate aging. The average American diet provides less than half the antioxidants scientists consider needed in a given day to optimally prevent oxidative damage. Recent reviews conclude that organic production systems increase antioxidant levels 15 percent to 50 percent over the same crop grown with conventional practices. Scientists are beginning to document the mechanisms through which specific antioxidant secondary plant metabolites protect crops against insects and diseases. This study assesses the antifungal activity of diterpenoids extracted from an annual grass in controlling the fungus that causes gray mold in grapes - a major pest management challenge in Chile's humid, often cool climate.
Source: "Characterization of the Antifungal Activity on Botrytis cinera of the Natural Diterpenoids Kaurenoic Acid and 3ss-Hydroxy-kaurenoic Acid"
Authors: Milena Cotoras, Carolina Folch, and Lenora Mendoza, University of Santiago, Chile
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, May 19, 2004 (Vol. 52, No. 10)
