Antifungal Activity of Eclipta alba Metabolites against Sorghum Pathogens.

Rajini Sollepura Boregowda,Siddapura R Niranjana,Nandhini Murali,Ole S Lund,Harischandra S Prakash,Arakere C Udayashankar

doi:10.3390/plants8030072

Rajini Sollepura Boregowda, Siddapura R Niranjana + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/plants8030072

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Abstract

Unscientific use of synthetic fungicides in plant disease management has environmental ramifications, such as disease resurgence and serious health problems due to their carcinogenicity. This has prompted the identification and development of eco-friendly greener alternatives. Eclipta alba extract was evaluated for its antifungal activity in in vitro and in vivo against sorghum fungal pathogens Fusarium thapsinum, Alternaria alternata, Epicoccum sorghinum, and Curvularia lunata. The column purified methanolic extract of E. alba exhibited good antifungal activity against the target pathogens. The MIC was observed at 80 mg/mL for all tested pathogenic fungi, whereas MFC was 80 mg/mL for E. sorghinum, 100 mg/mL for F. thapsinum, A. alternata, and C. lunata. In vitro germination percentage was significantly high in seeds treated with E. alba extract (98%) over untreated control (91%). Significant disease protection of 95% was observed in greenhouse and 66% disease protection was noticed in field experiments. The efficacy of E. alba extract in field conditions was improved with the use of E. alba extract formulation. The profile of phytochemicals in E. alba methanol fractions was obtained by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) mass spectroscopy. The [M-H]− at m/z 313.3, m/z 797.9, and m/z 269.0 revealed the presence of wedelolactone, eclalbasaponin II, and apigenin, respectively. The H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR) chemical shift value supported the findings of the mass spectrometry. The results highlighted the possible use of E. alba methanolic extract as alternative to chemical fungicide in sorghum disease management.

Highlights

The unmethodical usage of chemical fungicides for plant disease management has ecological implications, such as disease resurgence due to development of resistance in the target pathogens, and poses pollution problems
The present studyethyl was acetate, designed with theand intension of identifying a greener, safer, effective, antifungal activity of alba crude solvent extracts was evaluated by the agar well diffusion and economically affordable botanical fungicide
Several chemical fungicides are available, but the unscientific unscientific and indiscriminate use of these fungicides over the years has led to resistance in and indiscriminate of environmental these fungicides over the years hasfarmers led to resistance in pathogens and poses pathogens and use poses risks

Summary

Introduction

The unmethodical usage of chemical fungicides for plant disease management has ecological implications, such as disease resurgence due to development of resistance in the target pathogens, and poses pollution problems. The repeated use of synthetic fungicides led to resistance in target pathogens with serious health problems in humans and animals due to their carcinogenicity, teratogenicity, and acute toxicity [1]. This has prompted a need for the investigation of alternative measures for crop disease management. The pharmacological and antimicrobial importance of aqueous and solvent extracts of Eclipta alba has been reviewed extensively [2,3]. The safety of E. alba extract was confirmed by preclinical toxicology studies using acute oral toxicity, eye irritation tests, and dermal irritation on New Zealand white rabbits and Sprague dawley rats [4]

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