# Exploring the Potential Applications of _Paecilomyces_ _Iilacinus_ 112
## 3 Results  
### Antagonism against Plant Pathogenic Fungi  
The antagonistic activity of _Paecilomyces lilacinus_ 112 against plant pathogenic fungi was evaluated using the dual culture technique. The images of Petri plates with fungal cultures on a solid medium are presented in Figure 2. The values of the inhibition diameters are presented in Table 1. The findings reveal that _Paecilomyces lilacinus_ 112 exhibited the highest antifungal activity against the _Cladosporium_ T2 isolate (inhibition of 66.3%), followed by _R. solani_ (52.53%), and _Sclerotiniia scleroorum_ (50.23%). The lowest activity was found against _A. alternata_ and _B. alli  
Figure 1: Schematic representation of plant treatments with protein hydrolyzates obtained from _Paecilomyces lilacinus_ cultured on keratin wastes. Microscopic observations of the interactions between _Paecilomyces lilacinus_ 112 and plant pathogenic fungi are presented in Figure 3A,B. Alterations in the pathogen hyphae can be observed, for example, in _R. solani, S. scleroorum_, and _B. allii._. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \multirow{2}{*}{\begin{tabular}{c} **Antagonistic Fungal** \\ **Isolate** \\ \end{tabular} } & \multirow{2}{*}{\begin{tabular}{c} **Pathogenic Fungi** \\ **Pathogenic Fungi** \\ \end{tabular} } & \multirow{2}{*}{\begin{tabular}{c} **Diameter of Pathogen** \\ **Colony in** \\ **Presence of** \\ **Antagonist (cm) \({}^{\star}\)** \\ \end{tabular} } & \multirow{2}{*}{\begin{tabular}{c} **Diameter of Pathogen** \\ **Colony (Control)** \\ **(cm) \({}^{\star}\)** \\ \end{tabular} } & \multirow{2}{*}{\
\begin{tabular}{c} **Inhibition of Tested** \\ **Pathogens** \\ **(\%)** \\ \end{tabular} } \\ \hline \multirow{7}{*}{
\begin{tabular}{c} _Paecilomyces lilacinus_ 112 \\ \end{tabular} } & _Rhizectonia solani_ & \(3.8\pm 0.1\) & \(8.0\pm 0.1\) & \(52.5\pm 2.1\) \\ \cline{2-4}  & _Scherichia scleroorum._ & \(4.2\pm 0.1\) & \(8.5\pm 0.1\) & \(50.2\pm 1.7\) \\ \cline{2-4}  & _Fusarium graminearum_ & \(3.0\pm 0.1\) & \(5.8\pm 0.1\) & \(47.1\pm 1.9\) \\ \cline{2-4}  & _Botrytis allii_ & \(3.6\pm 0.1\) & \(5.1\pm 0.2\) & \(29.4\pm 1.9\) \\ \cline{2-4}  & _Cladosporium_ T2 & \(2.7\pm 0.1\) & \(8.1\pm 0.1\) & \(66.3\pm 1.3\) \\ \cline{2-4}  & _Alternaria alternata_ & \(4.0\pm 0.1\) & \(5.9\pm 0.1\) & \(32.2\pm 1.7\) \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: Interaction of _Paecilomyces lilacinus_ 112 with tested pathogens. Figure 2: Illustration of the antagonism of _Paecilomyces lilacinus_ 112 versus plant pathogenic fungi. The degree of in vitro invasion, covering, and pathogen mycelium destruction analyzed by the microscopic observations of the interaction between _Paecilomyces_ _illacimus_ and the phytopathogens showed different stages of the mycoparasitism process as a mechanism of antagonism, such as dense coils of hyphae that tightly encircle (surround) the phytopathogens hyphae (Figure 3(Aa), and penetrating a hypha followed by mycolysis of the phytopathogen hyphae (Figure 3(Ac). These changes in the structure of the pathogen are also supported by the results obtained in the enzymatic tests, more specific by the secretion of hydrolytic enzymes by antagonistic _Paecilomyces_ _illacimus_. In Figure 3B, it can be observed that to a certain degree, the mechanisms involved in biological control exercised by antagonistic _Paecilomyces_ _illacimus_ to suppress the growth of pathogens; for example, mycoparasitism and competition for nutrients, represented by entangled hyphae of the _Paecilomyces_ _illacimus_ on the surface of hyphae formed by phytopathogens. Figure 3: _Cont._  
Figure 3: (**A**) Observations of the antagonism mechanism between _Paicolomyces lilacinus_ 112 and plant pathogenic fungi under microscope light (**left**) and SEM (**right**).