The effects of salicylic acid (SA) and one of its better-known derivatives-methyl salicylic acid (MeSA)-on the infection of apple fruits with the fungus Monilinia laxa, which causes brown rot, were investigated. Since research to date has focused on preventive effects, we also focused on the curative use of SA and MeSA. Curative use of SA and MeSA slowed the progression of the infection. In contrast, preventive use was generally unsuccessful. HPLC-MS was used to analyze the content of phenolic compounds in apple peels in healthy and boundary peel tissues around lesions. The boundary tissue around the lesions of untreated infected apple peel had up to 2.2-times higher content of total analyzed phenolics (TAPs) than that in the control. Flavanols, hydroxycinnamic acids and dihydrochalcones were also higher in the boundary tissue. During the curative treatment with salicylates, the ratio of TAP content between healthy and boundary tissue was lower (SA up to 1.2-times higher and MeSA up to 1.3-times higher content of TAPs in boundary compared to those in healthy tissue) at the expense of also increasing the content in healthy tissues. The results confirm that salicylates and infection with the fungus M. laxa cause an increased content of phenolic compounds. Curative use of salicylates has a greater potential than preventive use in infection control.
Keywords: brown rot; infection; phenolic compounds; phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway; plant protection; salicylates.