Open Access

ARTICLE

Molecular Fingerprinting of Three Ex-Situ Cultivated Populations of Acalypha gaumeri Pax & K. Hoffm (Female and Male) and Evaluation of Their Antifungal Activity Against Phytopathogens

Christian Pérez-Chablé¹, Daisy Pérez-Brito^1,*, Anuar Magaña-Alvarez¹, Jairo Cristóbal-Alejo², Irma L. Medina-Baizabal¹, Marcela Gamboa-Angulo^1,*

1 Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán A.C., 43 # 130, x 32 y 34, Chuburná de Hidalgo, Mérida, Yucatán, México
2 Tecnológico Nacional de México, campus Conkal, Avenida Tecnológico S/N, Conkal, Conkal, Yucatán, México

* Corresponding Authors: Daisy Pérez-Brito. Email: ; Marcela Gamboa-Angulo. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Plant-Derived Antimicrobials: Phytochemical Defense, Plant Metabolism, and Ecological Roles)

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2026, 95(2), 3 https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2026.072668

Received 01 September 2025; Accepted 05 January 2026; Issue published 28 February 2026

Abstract

Acalypha gaumeri (Euphorbiaceae) is the only endemic species of the genus in the Yucatan Peninsula. It is dioecious and has antifungal properties against various phytopathogens. In the present study, molecular identification of A. gaumeri was performed using the rbcL region, confirming its belonging to the Acalypha genus. Its genetic diversity was evaluated using 10 SPAR markers (ISSR and DAMD) from 60 individuals collected from female and male plants of the Kiuic, Tinum and Yaxcaba ex-situ populations. The results showed a high level of genetic polymorphism (PIC = 0.980) and significant differences among the populations. Ethanol and aqueous extracts from leaves, stems, and roots of both genders and three populations were evaluated against three phytopathogenic fungi. Only the ethanol extracts of the roots showed inhibitory antifungal activity, whereas Kiuic and Tinum, both male and female individuals, showed inhibitory effects at 1000 µg/mL against the three pathogens. The ethanol extract of the female flowering plant of Kiuic showed activity at minimum inhibitory concentrations of 250 µg/mL against Alternaria chrysanthemi CICY004 and 500 µg/mL against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides CICY002 and Penicillium oxalicum ITC25. Chromatographic profile of the ethanol extracts confirmed the presence of alkaloidal components in the ex-situ cultivated plants, which were analyzed by HPLC. The results revealed that the peaks at T_R of 7.60, 7.88, and 8.49 min were the most abundant components (9.95%–21.93%), with differences between female and male plants of the three populations. This research confirms that A. gaumeri cultivated and genetically characterized is a potential raw material to develop an eco-friendly product for the control of fungal diseases in crops.

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