In vitro antifungal activity of leaf, bark, and root extracts of Pterocarpus erinaceus against five phytopathogenic fungi
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55779/nsb18212856Keywords:
Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea, in vitro antifungal activity, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani, Mauritania, natural antifungal agents, plant extracts, Pterocarpus erinaceus, Sclerotinia sclerotiorumAbstract
This study aimed to evaluate the antifungal activity of leaf, bark, and root extracts of Pterocarpus erinaceus collected in Mauritania against five phytopathogenic fungi: Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. The antifungal potential of the extracts, obtained by decoction and ethanol maceration, was assessed using the direct contact method on malt extract agar medium with four replicates per treatment and four concentrations (0, 10, 30, and 50 g L⁻¹) in order to calculate the percentage inhibition of mycelial colony diameter growth (PICD) of the five fungi. Contrary to expectations, leaf and bark extracts of P. erinaceus stimulated the growth of the tested fungi, which may be related to hormetic effects, nutrient availability, or the presence of bioactive compounds at sub-inhibitory concentrations. With the exception of S. sclerotiorum, which showed no sensitivity to the different concentrations of the plant extracts. In contrast, root extracts exhibited a remarkable inhibitory effect on the growth of A. alternata, with a PICD of 45.91% at a concentration of 50 g L⁻¹ for the aqueous maceration extract and 73% at 2.8 g L⁻¹ for the ethanolic extract. Root extracts also reduced the growth of F. solani at all tested concentrations, with inhibition percentages of 5.88% at 10 g L⁻¹, 10.98% at 30 g L⁻¹, and 11.27% at 50 g L⁻¹, but stimulated the growth of F. oxysporum and B. cinerea. The results of this study clearly demonstrate that root extracts of P. erinaceus are effective against A. alternata and may represent a potential control agent under in vitro conditions, although further studies are required to confirm their effectiveness under greenhouse and field conditions.
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