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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Miami, Florida » Subtropical Horticulture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #361777
Research Project: Methyl Bromide Replacement: Mitigation of the Invasive Pest Threat from the American Tropics and Subtropics

Location: Subtropical Horticulture Research

Title: Rapid evaluation of salvia pachystachya essential oil against three colletotrichum species causing anthracnose on strawberries

Author
item Tabanca, Nurhayat
item DEMIRD, BETUL - Anadolu Universtiy
item Wedge, David
item AYTAC, ZEKI - Gazi University
item BASER, K. HUSNU CAN - Near East University

Submitted to: Natural Volatiles & Essential Oils
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/16/2019
Publication Date: 7/28/2019
Citation: Tabanca, N., Demird, B., Wedge, D.E., Aytac, Z., Baser, K. 2019. Rapid Evaluation of Salvia pachystachya Essential Oil against Three Colletotrichum Species Causing Anthracnose on Strawberries. Natural Volatiles & Essential Oils. 6(2):1-8.

Interpretive Summary: Strawberry anthracnose, caused by pathogenic Colletotrichum spp. fungi, is one of the most important diseases affecting strawberry production worldwide. Commercial fungicides currently used to control this disease can have adverse effects on humans and the environment if used inappropriately. There is a need to identify naturally occurring antifungal compounds as safe alternatives to synthetic fungicides. A technique was developed for rapid screening of plant essential oils for antifungal activity. The essential oil from Salvia pachystachys (a species of sage) was isolated, gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy used to analyse its chemical content. Results showed the oil to act as a growth inhibitor for three fungal species that cause strawberry anthracnose. Although the sage oil was a weak fungicide compared to commercial fungicide Captan, the study led to a better understanding of the relationship between terpenoid content and fungicidal activity. The rapid screening assay used in this study will permit future research to identify essential oils with more potent fungicidal properties for use in management programs for anthracnose.

Technical Abstract: The objectives of this study were to identify the chemical composition of essential oil of Salvia pachystachys Trautv. (Lamiaceae) and to evaluate antifungal activity against plant pathogens that cause anthracnose, Colletotrichum acutatum J. H. Simmonds, C. fragariae A.N. Brooks and C. gloeosporioides (Penz.) Penz. & Sacc. Water-distilled oil of S. pachystachys collected from the eastern part of Turkey was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Major components were identified as a-pinene (18.9%), (Z)-b-ocimene (11.8%) and 1,8-cineole (8.0%). The oil showed weak antifungal activity against three Colletotrichum species using direct-bioautography assay.