A Novel Seimatosporium and Other Sporocadaceae Species Associated with Grapevine Trunk Diseases in Cyprus.

Besides well-known grapevine trunk disease (GTD)-related pathogens, there is an increased interest in wood-colonizing fungi that infect grapevines. During 2017-2018, a survey was conducted in Cyprus and wood samples were collected from vines exhibiting typical GTD symptoms. Based on morphological and multilocus phylogenetic analyses (ITS, LSU, bt2, tef1-a), four species in the Sporocadaceae family were described and typified; two in the genus of Seimatosporium: Seim. cyprium sp. nov. and Seim. vitis-viniferae and two in Sporocadus: Spo. kurdistanicus and Spo. rosigena. The teleomorph of Seim. cyprium sp. nov. was also described. Pathogenicity trials with representative isolates of each species were performed on woody stems of two-year-old potted grapevines for 12 months under field conditions. All isolates were pathogenic, causing dark brown to black vascular discoloration, extending upward and downward from the inoculation point. Sporocadus isolates were significantly more aggressive than Seimatosporium with lesion lengths ranging from 9.24 to 6.90 and 4.13 to 4.00 cm, respectively. Successful re-isolations were also evident for all species and isolates. Seim. cyprium sp. nov. is a newly described species, while Spo. kurdistanicus and Spo. rosigena are reported for the first time in Europe on Vitis vinifera, suggesting the potential role of Sporocadaceae in the GTDs complex.

Antimicrobial Activities of Saponaria cypria Boiss. Root Extracts, and the Identification of Nine Saponins and Six Phenolic Compounds.

The purpose of this study was to identify the chemical components in root extracts of Saponaria cypria, an endemic species of Cyprus. Subsequently, the synergistic bioactivity of its root extracts through different extraction procedures was also investigated for the first time. A total of nine saponins, along with six phenolic compounds, were identified and quantified using the UHPLC/Q-TOF-MS method. Additionally, S. cypria root extracts demonstrated antibacterial potential against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis and Salmonella enteritidis. S. aureus presented the highest susceptibility among all bacteria tested. These findings provide the first phytochemical data regarding the saponin, phenolic content and antimicrobial activity of S. cypria extracts, indicating that the Cyprus saponaria species is a rich natural source for bioactive compounds with a potentially wider bioactivity spectrum.

Chemical Characterization, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties of Different Types of Tissue of Cedrus brevifolia Henry Extracts.

This study aimed to determine the chemical composition of different types of tissue of Cedrus brevifolia Henry (Pinaceae) methanolic extracts, namely needles, twigs, branches, and bark. Cedrus brevifolia is a narrow endemic coniferous tree species of Cyprus, growing in a sole population in the mountainous area of Paphos Forest. Chemical analysis of the extracts was performed using liquid chromatography combined with time-of-flight high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC/Q-TOF/HRMS). The majority of the 36 compounds tentatively identified belonged to the flavonoids family. The extract of needles was the richest extract in terms of secondary metabolites. The extracts were studied for their antioxidant activity using the DPPH free radical scavenging assay. Additionally, the antibacterial activity was evaluated by determining both the minimum inhibitory concentration and the minimum bactericidal concentration against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. All extracts demonstrated antioxidant property, while bark gave the highest antioxidant capacity (IC50 value of 0.011 mg/mL) compared to the other tissues. Antibacterial activity was observed against both types of bacteria, with the extract of branches presenting the strongest activity against S. aureus (MIC, 0.097 mg/mL and MBC, 0.195 mg/mL). This is the first time that extracts of needles, twigs, branches, and bark of C. brevifolia are compared regarding their chemical composition as well as their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.