In vitro and in vivo antifungal activity of extracts from Jamaica cherry Muntingia calabura l. leaves

Abstract

Previous studies on M. calabura (Jamaica cherry) leaves reported the presence of polyphenols, flavonoids, glycosides, and tannins. However, the deep research focus on the antifungal activity of Jamaica cherry leaf extract (JCLE) is still limited. Hence, the current study was conducted on JCLE samples by using various solvents, i.e., 70% ethanol, 70% methanol, and 70% acetone, and then evaluating their antifungal activity. Analytical results showed that JCLE could be used as a natural antifungal potential agent against mold-causing spoilage in fruits. Specifically, the ethanolic extract had a strong inhibition of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Lasiodiplodia theobromae. While the methanolic and acetonic extracts prevented sharply the growth of Alternaria alternata and Fusarium equiseti, respectively. Generally, the ethanolic extract was able to inhibit the various mold strains better than the other solvents. Furthermore, the results showed that the percentage inhibition of radial growth (PIRG) of JCLE increased gradually as the concentration increased from 4000 to 40000 mg GAE/kg. The highest data obtained for C. gloeosporioides, A. alternata, F. equiseti, and L. theobromae were 53.29%, 57.03%, 54.81%, and 75.03%, respectively. In vivo experiment, the samples were treated with and without JCLE (the control sample) occuring the black spots caused by C. gloeosporioides on mango’s surface after 21 days and 30 days of storage at 12 ± 2 °C, respectively. Whereas the TSS and TA values of both samples were similar. While the visual appearance of the control was more yellow compared to the samples treated with JCLE. In conclusion, JCLE was able to significantly delay the development of pathogenic mold, though it quite inhibited the maturation of mango fruit. Further studies may be needed to evaluate the phtychemical profile of M. calabura extract to gain a deeper understanding of its antifugal activity.