Antimicrobial Properties and Ecotoxicity of Azo Oxime Ether - Emerging First-in-class Fungicide for Crop Protection.

Currently, the resistance of phytopathogenic fungi to widely used fungicides is increasing. The intensification of agricultural production due to population growth precludes the abandonment of chemical plant protection products. Therefore, the search for new compounds with fungicidal activity represents an urgent research direction. In this study, the biological activity (fungicidal and antimicrobial properties) and ecotoxicological profile of a leading compound from novel fungicide class, azo oxime ethers, were investigated. The test compound (TC) inhibited the growth of several phytopathogenic fungi, including Alternaria alternata, Geotrichum candidum, Fusarium graminearum, while demonstrating minimal effects on non-target microorganisms, such as the bacteria Azospirillum sp., Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and the yeasts Pichia sp., Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Wickerhamomyces anomalus. The toxicity toward aquatic organisms (Ceriodaphnia affinis, Chlorella vulgaris, Paramecium caudatum) did not exceed that of tebuconazole, which was used as a reference in the form of commercial product "Kolosal". Phytotoxicity toward Raphanus sativus and Triticum aestivum was observed only at the maximum tested concentration of 0.01%. In addition, ecotoxicological properties were studied for ethoxylated isodecyl alcohol, widely used emulsifier and wetting agent in crop-protection products. These results suggest that the studied compound is a promising active ingredient for the development of plant protection agents.