Hypogin‐derived N‐cinnamoylated peptide as a promising green fungicide against peanut southern blight caused by <scp> <i>S</i> </scp> <i>clerotium rolfsii</i>

BACKGROUND: Peanut southern blight, caused by Sclerotium rolfsii, severely reduces yield and quality. The overuse of chemical fungicides accelerates resistance development and raises environmental concerns, highlighting the necessity for eco-friendly alternatives. Hypogin is an endogenous peanut peptide with broad-spectrum antifungal activity. This study aims to identify the active centers of hypogin and evaluate the antifungal activity and preliminary mechanisms of its derived peptides. RESULTS: ) demonstrated the highest in vitro activity against S. rolfsii, with a half-maximal effective concentration value of 257.93 mg/L. In vivo studies revealed that II-1 provided superior curative efficacy (66.47%) against peanut southern blight, surpassing the commercial fungicide polyoxin (57.33%), and also promoted root growth in peanuts. Both I-7 and II-1 exhibited low cytotoxicity toward human LO2 liver cells, with inhibition rates of 5.05% and 17.44%, respectively, at a concentration of 400 mg/L. Preliminary mechanistic investigations indicated that I-7 specifically targets the Vps34 signaling pathway in S. rolfsii. CONCLUSION: Hypogin-derived peptide II-1 exhibits significant antifungal activity and low toxicity, making it a promising candidate for a green fungicide in the management of peanut southern blight. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.