After a year of research scientists have developed a potential cure for an orange-killing disease called citrus greening.
The research team looked at three biochemical elements: "phloretin, hexestrol and benzbromarone," a University of Florida news release reported.
The team sprayed the chemicals on tree shoots and found benzbromarone effectively stopped the spread of bacteria in 80 percent of the shoots.
The chemical targets a protein in the bacteria called LdtR. It binds to the protein and inactivates it; this "disrupts a cell wall remodeling process critical for the greening bacterium's survival inside a citrus tree," the news release reported.
"As a consequence of the chemical treatment, several genes were not expressed and the bacteria were not able to survive inside the phloem of the plant where osmotic pressure from sugar is high," Fernando Pagliai, a co-author of the study and a UF graduate assistant, said in the news release.
Citrus greening is spread through a mall leaf-munching bug called an Asian citrus psyllid. The bug injects the bacteria when it sucks up leaf sap, the bacteria is then spread through the tree's phloem ("living tissue that carries organic nutrients to all parts of the plant") the news release reported.
The disease depletes the tree's nutrients and affects its roots, causing it to produce green and misshapen fruit.
The disease is spreading across North America and harming Florida's $9 billion citrus industry.
"Every grower I know is just hanging by their fingernails, hoping and praying for a new discovery for treatment," said Ellis Hunt Jr a grower in Lake Wales, said in the news release.
It could be between five to seven years before a treatment for the disease becomes commercially available due to mandatory field testing.
The finding is promising but there is no guarantees the it will prove to be safe and effective in this government-regulated field testing.
