Antifungal activities of essential oils and hydrosol extracts of Daucus carota subsp. sativus for the control of fungal pathogens, in particular gray rot of strawberry during storage

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical composition of essential oils and hydrosol extract of Daucus carota subsp. sativus, and as well as their biological activities. The major compounds of root oil were geranyl linalool (50.3%). Aerial parts essential oil was made of alismol (15.2%), α-humulene (9.5%) and β-ionone (8.2%). The main components of root hydrosol extract were myristicine (17.8%), (E)-methyl-iso-eugenol (16.6%) and methyl-eugenol (11.9%). Furthermore, caryophyllene oxide (9.8%) and p-cymen-8-ol (8.9%) were the major compounds of hydrosol extract from aerial parts. The hydrosol extract of roots produced the best inhibition against P. expansum and B. cinerea. While, essential oil of roots was inhibitory at relatively higher concentrations. Results showed that the treatments of strawberry fruit with roots essential oil and hydrosol extract of D. carota subsp. sativus presented a very interesting protective and preventive activity on strawberry against B. cinerea mould.