Effects of Plant Extracts and Beauveria bassiana on the Activity of Defense-Related Enzymes in Solanum lycopersicum L. during Interaction with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici

The objective to this work was to evaluate the enzymatic activity in the culture of Solanum lycopersicum L. infected with Fusarium oxysporum after the combined application of Beauveria bassiana and plant extracts. Solanum lycopersicum plantlets were transplanted 15 days after the emergency. Five days after transplanting, Beauveria bassiana spores were applied at a concentration of 1 x 107 spores mL-1 onto soil (along with A. indica (N) and P. auritum (H) leaf extracts) where S. lycopersicum plants were planted. Eight days after transplanting, spores of F. oxysporum strain were applied at a concentration of 1 x 106 spores mL-1 to soil where S. lycopersicum plants were growing. The development of S. lycopersicum plants was monitored for 114 days, whereby a randomized complete block treatment design was used, the roots of the plants were crushed with liquid nitrogen, after which UV/VIS spectrophotometry was used to determine protein concentration, as well as the activity of beta -1,3glucanases, peroxidases (POX, EC1.11.1.7), catalase and chitinases. The treatments combining B. bassiana and A. indica and P. auritum extracts, had a significant difference in enzymatic activity levels, thus contributing to better defense mechanisms and a greater protection to S. lycopersicum plants in the presence of F. oxysporum. The application of B. bassiana and plant extracts to the ground mitigated damage caused by F. oxysporum on S. lycopersicum plants.