Ecological patterns in the antifungal activity of root extracts from Rocky Mountain wetland plants

Abstract

Current pressures in the pharmaceutical and agricultural industries have placed emphasis on improved efficiency in new drug and agrochemical discovery. In the area of natural products, much attention has focused on improving collection strategies. The purpose of this study was to determine the importance of environmental details in prospecting for antifungal compounds from wetland plants. A survey was conducted of the in vitro antifungal activity of root extracts from 28 species of Rocky Mountain wetland plants against three medically and five agriculturally important fungal pathogens. Plants were collected at early and late stages in the growing season from wetland and upland sites of four low (2800-2950 m) and three high (3000-3300 m) altitude Rocky Mountain subalpine meadows and trends in levels of antifungal activity were assessed. Wetland plant species exhibited higher antifungal activity when collected late in the growing season from wetland-soil areas of high altitude meadows. In contrast, upland plant species exhibited higher antifungal activity when collected early in the season from upland-soil areas of low altitude meadows. These results provide the basis for an ecological and economical strategy for the collection of plants with potentially useful antifungal compounds and support the utility of ecological investigations and chemical ecology theory in plant prospecting efforts.