Fungicidal, Molluscicidal and Phytocidal Activity of Avocado, Persea americana Mill Industrial Wastes

Abstract

The avocado fruits were divided into peel, flesh, and seeds. Each part was individually extracted and checked for its phytocidal effects against wheat (Triticum aestivum) and squash (Cucumber pepo) plants at different stages; its fungicidal effects against Botritis cenerea and Fusarium oxysporum fungi; and its molluscicidal effects against Theba pisana. The peel, flesh and seed extracts inhibited the growth of B. cenerea and F. oxysporum with EC50 values of >1000, > 1000; 816, 616 and 1077 and 471 µg/ml, respectively. The remained seed powder killed the treated snail increasingly after 4, 8, and 12 days of exposure, with 58.6, 37.9 and 32.3 % LC50 values in the same array, while its extract exhibited LC50 values of > 1.0%, 1.08%, and 0.31%, respectively, within the exposure time. All extracts inhibited the germination of seeds and the growth of the germinated seedlings. The inhibition effect was higher on squash seeds than wheat grains. On wheat seedlings, the seed extract exhibited the highest effect inhibiting the root and shoot systems, with EC50 values of 29 and 170 µg/ml, respectively. The seed extract was identified for its bioactive compounds through GC-MS analysis. Its active biochemical compounds were identified to be rutin (quercetine-3-glucoside-rhamnoside) and quercetin-3-Oarabinosyl-glucoside as phenolic derivatives (flavonol derivatives), carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin and lycopene) and procyanidin dimer B type.