A fungal elicitor enhances the resistance of tomato fruit to Fusarium oxysporum infection by activating the phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway

Fungi infection in fruits is an important factor in postharvest losses. The effect of a treatment with a fungal elicitor on the response of tomato fruit to Fusarium oxysporum infection and changes in the phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway was studied. Fungal elicitor retarded for 3 days the development of the Fusarium rot development in tomato, at concentration of 2 g l −1 (B2-F treatment). This treatment also induced a 3.11- and 6.03-fold increase of caffeic and chlorogenic acids, respectively, as compared with the control. Furthermore, the flavonoids naringenin-7-O-glucoside, rutin and kaempferol-3-O-glucoside, showed a greater abundance in tomato under the B2-F treatment after 6 days at 20°C. It is concluded that the fungal elicitor reduced the development of Fusarium rot by inducing the biosynthesis of metabolites from the phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway which forms part of the defense response in tomato fruit.