Antifungal Activity of Essential Oils Extracted from Different Plants AgainstPenicillium digitatum Causing Green Mold of Citrus
Nooruddin Bangulzai, Syed Faizan, Muhammad Kashif, Mariam Fatima, Nimra Mushtaq, R Anwar, M Chaudhary, H Chang, Y Cheng, C Wu, S Chang, T Chang, Y Su, R Cuero, J Smith, J Lacey, S Droby, M Iqbal, M Kim, G Choi, H Lee, L Levinskaite, J Pitt, K Prabakar, T Raguchander, V Parthiban, P Muthulakshmi, V Prakasam, R Steel, J Torrie, M Yahyazadeh, R Omidbaigi, R Zare, H Taheri, S Zhu
Abstract
Citrus (Citrus spp.) is a genus of the Rutaceae family that is thought to have been instigated in Southeast Asia. Citrus is number one in area and production as related to other fruits throughout the world. Punjab is a leading producer of citrus fruits. Post-harvest losses occur due to many postharvest diseases in citrus. Green mold incited by Penicillium digitatum is a primary destructive disease that leads to significant economic losses in citrus production. For this research, infected samples were purchased from the fruit market of Uthal, District Lasbela. Penicillium digitatum was identified and extracted. Healthy fruits were coated with three various essential oils concentrations of six other plant oils like olive (Oleaeuropaea L.), garlic (Allium sativum L.), clove (Syzygium aromaticum L.), neem (Azadirachta indica L.), castor (Ricinus communis), and Sesame oil (Sesamum indicum) were tested after inoculation with Penicillium digitatum on citrus cultivars and then stored in polythene bags for 4, 8 and 12 days respectively. Three replications were used in each treatment. Treatments of citrus fruits coated with at all concentrations of clove oil showed a maximum reduction of disease, i.e., 42-45% with minimum fungus growth proved to be most effective, and Sesame oil at all concentrations showed a minimum decrease of infection, i.e., 19.37% with maximum fungus growth found to be least effective after 4, 8 and 12 days individually. It is a very economical and most effective technique to control this disease.