Inhibitory effect of tannic acid on the growth of Apiospora arundinis and 3-Nitropropionic acid production

Abstract Aims This study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effect of tannic acid (TA) on the growth of Apiospora arundinis and 3-Nitropropionic acid (3-NPA) production. Methods and results To investigate the antifungal mechanism, the effects of TA on the hypha growth, electrical conductivity, hypha morphology, defense-related enzymes, and 3-NPA production of A. arundinis were studied. TA concentrations of 640 and 1280 μg ml−1 exhibited strong antifungal activity against A. arundinis. The results of scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy showed that the hypha of the A. arundinis was severely deformed after TA treatment, and the cell membrane was blurred and thin, vacuoles were obviously shrunken and smaller, and most of the organelles were decomposed into irregular fragments. The increased electrical conductivity and malondialdehyde content indicated that TA caused peroxidation of unsaturated fatty acids and damaged the structure of the cell membrane. The decrease of intracellular ATPase and succinate dehydrogenase content indicated that TA damaged the function of mitochondria, and participated in the inhibition of respiratory metabolism. In addition, TA significantly reduced 3-NPA production and completely inhibited 3-NPA production at 640 and 1280 μg ml−1. Conclusion TA effectively inhibited both growth of A. arundinis in vitro and 3-NPA production.