Unveiling the Perspective on Weissella confusa as a Promising Biocontrol Agent Against Fusaria

Abstract

The biotechnological potential of the lactic acid bacterial genus Weissella has not been fully unearthed. Since Weissella have not been tested against Fusaria and their mycotoxins, newly isolated Weissella confusa strains were characterized and tested for their antifungal capacities on Fusarium plant pathogens. W. confusa BF2 and ML2 successfully inhibited Fusarium verticillioides NCIM 1100, F. verticillioides NCIM 1099, Fusarium graminearum MTCC 2089, and Fusarium oxysporum MTCC 284 in co-cultures. Ethyl acetate extracts of the cell-free culture supernatants (CFCS) of W. confusa also exhibited antifungal activity against the tested fungal cultures. The main mycotoxins of Fusaria were tested against the Weissella isolates. In MRS broth, W. confusa BF2 was resistant to the Fusarium mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, T2, and fumonisin B1), while the ML2 strain showed 22.1–24.5% growth inhibition. Meanwhile, neither bacterium showed potential in mycotoxin reduction. The study highlighted that W. confusa BF2 and ML2 and their CFCS are suitable for Fusarium growth inhibition, as shown on surface-sterilized peanuts and wheat grains, but not for mycotoxin elimination.