Toxicity of cotton phytoalexins to zoopathogenic fungi

Abstract
The sesquiterpenoid phytoalexins desoxyhemigossypol, desoxymethoxyhemigossypol, and hemigossypolone formed in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum and G. barbadense) stem xylem infected with Verticillium dahliae were shown to be highly toxic to zoopathogenic fungi. This appears to be the first study of the toxicity of terpenoid phytoalexins to zoopathogenic fungi. The toxicities of the phytoalexins expressed as MIC (μg ml−1) values were 8 to 128 against four isolates of Candida albicans and one isolate of Cryptococcus neoformans. These highly toxic compounds or their derivatives may prove useful for the treatment of animal mycoses.