Polyphasic characterization and antimicrobial properties of Induratia species isolated from Coffea arabica in Brazil

Abstract

Fungi belonging to the genus Induratia are endophytes that have received considerable attention because of the production of natural bioactive secondary metabolites, such as volatile compounds, with antimicrobial activity. In this study, we distinguished I. coffeana and Induratia sp. isolated from Coffea arabica in Brazil based on three-loci phylogeny, ITS, RPB2, and TUB2. The Induratia isolates showed high morphological plasticity and produced different volatile organic compounds, indicating that these compounds might not be correlated with their phylogenetic assignment. However, PLS-DA was able to discriminate Induratia isolates into three different clusters: one associated with I. coffeana and two with Induratia sp. Induratia isolates showed biofumigant activity against Botrytis cinerea with emphasis on I. coffeana (CML 4019), which inhibited the pathogenic fungus in postharvest strawberries. Nematicidal activity against Meloidogyne incognita was also observed in filtrates and volatile compounds produced by Induratia isolates. Moreover, we observed that I. coffeana (CML 4019) metabolites showed antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and E. faecium and that extracts of seven other Induratia isolates reduced the pre-formed biofilm of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis.