Bioactivity of the essential oil of Eugenia caryophyllus against Cladosporium herbarum, etiological agent of black scab in passion fruit

Abstract

Essential oils extracted from plants exhibit important ecological functions in several studies, with potential to be used as natural antimicrobial agents to substitute to conventional products. The objective this study was to evaluate the in vitro the fungitoxity of the essential oil of Eugenia caryophyllus Tumb in different concentrations against the mycelial growth of Cladosporium herbarum, etiological agent that incites a serious disease in passion fruit, known as “black scab” that affects all aerial organs of the plant, reducing seriously productivity, supply, prices and quality of the fruit. From fruits and flowers, the fungus was isolated, recover, and analyzed in potato dextrose agar (PDA) with the treatments 12,8; 6,4; 3,2; 1,6; 0,8; 0,4 e 0,2 μL of the essential oil of E. caryophyllus. The essential oil of E. caryophyllus inhibited of the mycelial growth of the C. herbarum from concentration of 1.6 μL and showed a total mycelial inhibition in the concentration of 12.8 μL. Thus, E. caryophyllus essential oil has shown its promising for future applications as a biofungicidal agent against C. herbarum.