Abstract
Zizyphus spina-christi L. has antimicrobial properties because of the presence of biologically active compounds. Alternaria is an opportunistic pathogen that causes leaf spots, rots, and blights on a variety of plant parts. This study aimed to reduce the usage of synthetically derived fungicides. Identification of the bioactive components present in leaves and fruits methanolic extracts of Z. spina-christi was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The efficacy of the two methanol extracts was tested against (a) in vitro fungal growth and (b) pathogenicity control on non-wounded and wounded tomato fruits. The results revealed that gallic acid and ellagic acid were the major components in leaves extract while quercetin was the major component in fruits extract. In addition, Phenol, 2,5-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl) (40.24%) and Decane, 2-methyl-(18.53%) were the most abundant components in the leaf extract, and the presence of D-mannonic acid, 2,3,5,6-tetrakis-o-(trimethylsilyl), and γ-lactone (22.72%) were major components in fruits extract. The methanolic extracts of Z. spina-christi leaves and fruits demonstrated significant antifungal activity against the growth of Alternaria alternata, A. citri, and A. radicina with variable inhibition percentages at different concentrations. Pathogenicity was increased when the skin was injured, as expected. Both extracts reduced the percentage of infected fruits.
Highlights
This study aimed to reduce the usage of synthetically derived fungicides by determining the antifungal activities of the leaves and fruits methanol extract of Z. spina- christi against Alternaria alternata, A. citri, and A. radicina
Seventeen polyphenolic compounds were available in the reference sample, namely: gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, catechin, methyl gallate, coffeic acid, syringic acid, pyrocatechol, rutin, ellagic acid, coumaric acid, vanillin, ferulic acid, naringenin, quercetin, cinnamic acid, kaempferol, and hesperetin (Figure 1A, Table S1)
The results showed that 13 and 14 compounds with different retention times were recognized in the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) chromatogram of methanolic extract of leaves and fruits, respectively
Summary
Plant pathogenic fungi are responsible for 20–40% of all known plant diseases. Fungicides are the most common way to prevent a fungal infection from causing excessive yield or quality loss. Chemical fungicides are unquestionably effective in controlling fungal infections, but they will face major limitations in the future due to several significant concerns. Chemical fungicides have the potential to cause deadly medical consequences, such as cancer [1,2]. The Rhamnaceae family includes the Ziziphus genus. There are 100 deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs in this genus, which can be found in tropical and subtropical climates all over the world [3]
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