Evaluation de l’effet antifongique de trois plantes médicinales -le myrte, le lentisque et la rue fétide – contre les champignons pathogènes ( Botrytis cinerea , Aspergillus niger et Penicillium expansum

Abstract

Medicinal plants constitute an important source of bioactive compounds and represent a promising alternative to chemical products used in the control of pathogenic agents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antifungal activity of essential oils extracted from three medicinal plants: Myrtus communis (myrtle), Pistacia lentiscus (lentisk), and Ruta chalepensis (fringed rue), due to their numerous biological properties and in order to propose a natural alternative to chemical fungicides used against phytopathogenic fungi. The extraction of essential oils from the selected plants was carried out by hydrodistillation. Antifungal activity was evaluated using the disc diffusion method against three phytopathogenic fungi: Aspergillus niger, Penicillium expansum, and Botrytis cinerea. The results showed extraction yields of 0.375%, 0.17%, and 1.39% for myrtle, lentisk, and fringed rue, respectively. They also revealed variable sensitivity of the tested fungi to the studied essential oils, as evidenced by the largest inhibition zone produced by the essential oil of Myrtus communis against Penicillium expansum (28 mm), followed by that of Pistacia lentiscus (15 mm), which also exhibited interesting activity against Aspergillus niger (15 mm) and Botrytis cinerea (11 mm). In contrast, the essential oil of Ruta chalepensis showed no inhibitory effect against Botrytis cinerea and Aspergillus niger, while a weak activity was observed against Penicillium expansum (7 mm). The findings of this study indicate that the essential oils of Myrtus communis and Pistacia lentiscus possess promising antifungal activity against the phytopathogenic fungi studied and could be valorized as natural alternatives to chemical fungicides for the postharvest preservation of food products.