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Toxicity of sesame extracts to the symbiotic fungus of leaf-cutting ants

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

Fernando Carlos Pagnocca
Affiliation:
Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brasil
Osvaldo Aulino da Silva
Affiliation:
Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brasil
Maria Jose Hebling-Beraldo
Affiliation:
Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brasil
Odair Correa Bueno
Affiliation:
Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brasil
João Batista Fernandes
Affiliation:
Departamento de Quimica–Universidade Federal de São CarlosSão Carlos–São Paulo–Brasil
Paulo Cesar Vieira
Affiliation:
Departamento de Quimica–Universidade Federal de São CarlosSão Carlos–São Paulo–Brasil

Abstract

Extracts of different sesame plant (Sesamum indicum) Linnaeus organs inhibited the in vitro growth of the fungus Leucocoprinus gongylophorus (Möller) (=Rozites gongylophora Möller), which is cultivated by the leaf-cutting ants of the species Atta sexdens rubropilosa Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The presence of the factor responsible for this inhibition was detected in methanol or chloroform extracts and is constant in the plant.

Type
Research Paper
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

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