Abstract:Endophytic actinomycete Lj20 with antifungal activity was isolated from healthy capsicum plants. In order to determine its potential application in biological control, the antifungal activity substance was separated and purified from metabolites of Lj20 by the means of macroporous absorbing resin, centrifugal thin layer chromatography and column chromatography. The inhibitory efficacy of Lj20 metabolites on Botrytis cinerea Pers was also studied by means of the inhibition rate of mycelium growth in vitro and the control efficacy in the greenhouse. The results showed that the structure of a compound isolated from the Lj20 metabolites was identified as 3, 5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl methyl ether by analysis of IR (infrared spectroscopy) and 1H-NMR (proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) spectroscopic data. This compound indicated the inhibition efficacy on B.cinerea in vitro with the EC50 was 174.94 mg/L. In addition, the control efficacy of crude extracts from Lj20 fermentation on B.cinerea reached 62.5% at the concentration of 500 mg/L in the greenhouse experiments, indicating that this endophytic actinomycete Lj20 had a potential value for further exploitation and utilization.