In Vitro Potential of Clary Sage and Coriander Essential Oils as Crop Protection and Post-Harvest Decay Control Products

Abstract

Owing to their various application fields and biological properties, natural products and essential oils (EO) in particular are nowadays attracting more attention as alternative methods to control plant pathogens and pests, weeds, and for post-harvest applications. Additionally, to overcome EO stability issues and low persistence of effects, EO encapsulation in β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) could represent a promising avenue. Thus, in this work, the EO distilled from two aromatic plants (Salvia sclarea L. and Coriandrum sativum L.) have been evaluated in vitro for their antifungal, herbicidal and insecticidal activities, against major plant pathogens and pests of agronomical importance. Both plants were grown on unpolluted and trace-element-polluted soils, so as to investigate the effect of the soil pollution on the EO compositions and biological effects. These EO are rich in oxygenated monoterpenes (clary sage and coriander seeds EO), or aliphatic aldehydes (coriander aerial parts EO), and were unaltered by the soil pollution. The tested EO successfully inhibited the growth of two phytopathogenic fungi, Zymoseptoria tritici and Fusarium culmorum, displaying IC50 ranging from 0.46 to 2.08 g L−1, while also exerting anti-germinative, herbicidal, repellent and fumigant effects. However, no improvement of the EO biological effects was observed in the presence of β-CD, under these in vitro experimental conditions. Among the tested EO, the one from aerial parts of coriander displayed the most significant antifungal and herbicidal effects, while the three of them exerted valuable broad-range insecticidal effects. As a whole, these findings suggest that EO produced on polluted areas can be of great interest to the agricultural area, given their faithful chemical compositions and valuable biological effects.

The Antifungal Activity of Cinnamon-Litsea Combined Essential Oil against Dominant Fungal Strains of Moldy Peanut Kernels

“…Anžlovar et al [ 17 ] found that thyme EO could inhibit the growth of endophytic fungi in wheat without affecting seed germination. The results of Raveau et al [ 18 ] also confirmed the potential of EOs (clary sage and coriander seeds EO) as post-harvest decay control products to inhibit the growth of Zymoseptoria tritici and Fusarium culmorum .…”

Natural Emulsions Based on Essential Oils as Antifungal and Antimycotoxicogenic Agents on Wheat for Bakery Industry

“…In previous papers regarding the antifungal and antimycotoxicogenic potential of individual EOs of coriander, thyme, and oregano, it was highlighted the contribution of thymol and o-cymene as the major components in thyme EO, linalool in coriander EO, and carvacrol and o-cymene in oregano EO [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ]. Other minor compounds, such as caryophyllene, β-myrcene, p -cymene, and γ-terpinene, were identified in the three analysed EOs [ 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 ].…”

“…The study highlighted the highest inhibition potential of EOs against Fusarium graminearum compared to other EOs. Moreover, the antifungal potential of coriander EO against Fusarium culmorum was recently reported [ 38 ]. Origanum vulgare EO activity against different Fusarium and Penicillium sp.…”

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) Cultivation Combined with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Inoculation and Steel Slag Application Influences Trace Elements-Polluted Soil Bacterial Functioning

“…Indeed, this aromatic belonging to the Apiaceae family is cultivated for the production of essential oils (EO), which are an important way of valorizing plant biomass. The EO produced on TE-polluted soils have antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant activities, and can be used for various applications [ 10 ]. Although it has been demonstrated that coriander can grow in TE-polluted soils, this plant species accumulates Zn and Cd in its aboveground parts, which makes it impossible to recycle residues from the distillation of coriander (shoots or seeds), in the methanization process, or as compost [ 6 , 9 , 11 ].…”