S. Korea's Nakdonggang institute files patent for broad-spectrum antifungal compound found in native freshwater plant

The National Institute of Biological Resources of the Nakdonggang said Sunday it has identified a natural compound isolated from ttukkeongdeongul — a freshwater plant native to South Korea — that inhibits the growth of fungi responsible for crop diseases, including rice blast fungus.

Fungal crop diseases cause significant economic losses each year by reducing both the yield and quality of agricultural produce.

Crop disease control has long relied primarily on synthetic fungicides, but concerns over human health risks and the emergence of drug-resistant strains from prolonged use have fueled growing attention to eco-friendly control technology.

In response, researchers at the institute began searching in 2022 for antifungal compounds derived from freshwater plants that could inhibit the growth of various crop-pathogenic fungi.

As a result, they isolated and identified a broad-spectrum antifungal compound called Lobatoside C from ttukkeongdeongul extract.

Analysis showed that Lobatoside C demonstrated broad antifungal activity against a range of crop-pathogenic fungi, including rice blast fungus, damping-off fungus and Fusarium head blight fungus.

Through research into the antifungal mechanism against rice blast fungus, the team confirmed that Lobatoside C suppresses spore germination and the formation of appressoria — the structures the fungus uses to penetrate plant tissue.

Building on these findings, the institute filed a patent on the antifungal applications of Lobatoside C on Aug. 10.

"This research demonstrates the potential of native biological resources as a source of useful natural compounds that can be applied as eco-friendly control technology to protect the agricultural environment," said Jeong Yu-jin, head of the institute's applied technology development division. "We will continue to expand research into sustainable use of biological resources based on natural products."