Quantification of cercosporin from coffee leaves infected by Cercospora coffeicola

Abstract

Cercosporin, a nonspecific toxin produced by Cercospora spp., Pseudocercosporella spp. and Colletotrichum spp., is a photosensitizing compound that rapidly kills plant cells in the presence of light. Although this toxin is a virulence factor, its quantification in coffee leaves has not previously been reported. This study aimed to standardize and quantify cercosporin in the leaves of Coffea arabica cultivars (Mundo Novo 376/4, Catuaí Vermelho IAC 99, Topázio MG 1190, and IPR 102) and Coffea canephora (Conilon- clone 213) with brown eye spot symptoms using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Cercosporin was detected in the lesions of all examined cultivars. Thus, HPLC is a valid method for quantifying cercosporin in coffee leaves.