Dr. Esam Hummadi, head of the Department of Biotechnology/University of Diyala, has been awarded an international patent on bioactive compounds isolated from Metarhizium brunneum.
Dr. Esam Hummadi, head of the Department of Biotechnology/University of Diyala, has been awarded an international patent on bioactive compounds isolated from Metarhizium brunneum.
Dr. Esam Hummadi, head of the Department of Biotechnology/University of Diyala, has been awarded an international patent on bioactive compounds isolated from Metarhizium brunneum. The patent has been published by the International Bureau of World Intellectual Property Organization (one of the 15 specialized agencies of the United Nations). The patent was granted by Certis Europe BV and registered in the United Kingdom under title “Use of Volatile Organic Compounds as Pesticides”.
Dr Hummadi said that the patent was covered a range of the volatile organic compounds (VOC) such as 1-octen-3-ol, isoamyl formate and 3-octanone. 1-Octen-3-ol, 3-octanone and isoamyl formate are volatile organic compound (VOC) natural products produced by the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium brunneum. The new compounds were initially included in the claim for the patent. Some of these compounds has been studied extensively as antimicrobial agents against human and plant pathogenic microorganisms. The present invention provides the use of 3-octanone, 1-octen-3-ol, isoamyl formate or a mixture as a nematicide. The compounds each exhibit promising nematicidal activity.
The compounds are much safer, with a better environmental profile than many current commercial nematicides. The compounds are often used as flavour or fragrance ingredients. For example, 1-octen-3-ol is approved by the US Food and Drug administration as a food additive. 1-Octen-3-ol, 3-octanone and isoamyl formate also exhibit high volatility, making them particularly suitable for use as fumigants. Moreover, 1-octen-3-ol, 3-octanone and isoamyl formate are each commercially available and thus are readily accessible and relatively inexpensive.
