The Potential Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities of Wood Treated with Withania somnifera Fruit Extract, and the Phenolic, Caffeine, and Flavonoid Composition of the Extract According to HPLC

Abstract

In the present study, Melia azedarach wood blocks treated with different acetone extract concentrations from Withania somnifera fruits are assessed for their antibacterial and anti-fungal activities. Wood blocks of M. azedarach treated with W. somnifera fruit extract at concentrations of 0, 1, 2, and 3% are evaluated for in vitro antimicrobial activity against five genbank accessioned bacterial strains—Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Dickeya solani, Erwinia amylovora, Pseudomonas cichorii, and Serratia pylumthica—and two fungi, namely, Fusarium culmorum and Rhizoctonia solani. Through HPLC analysis we find that the most abundant quantified phenolic and flavonoid compounds of acetone extract (mg/100 g) are salicylic acid (9.49), vanillic acid (4.78), rutin (4702.58), and myricetin (1386.62). Wood treated with the extract at 2% and 3% show no growth of A. tumefaciens, E. amylovora, and P. cichorii. Use of the extract at 3% causes inhibition of fungal mycelia of F. culmorum and R. solani by 84.07% and 67.03%, respectively. In conclusion, potent antifungal and antibacterial activity against plant pathogens is found when an acetone extract of W. somnifera fruits is applied to wood samples.

The Phytochemical, Antifungal, and First Report of the Antiviral Properties of Egyptian Haplophyllum tuberculatum Extract

“…Three wood samples were used for each concentration for each fungus, as well as for the positive (25 µg of fluconazole) and negative (10% DMSO) controls. The antifungal activity of the wood-treated extract in terms of the inhibition percentage of fungal linear growth (IPFLG) was measured following our previous work [ 15 , 49 , 50 , 51 ], using the following formula; IPFLG (%) = [(G C − G T )/G C ] × 100, where G C and G T represent the average diameters of the fungal colony of control and treatment, respectively.…”

Natural Compounds for Wood Protection against Fungi—A Review

“…Among the main active compounds with proved antifungal properties were benzoic acid, caffeine, naringenin and quercetin. Extracts of Withania somnifera fruit significantly limited mycelial growth of A. alternata , Bipolaris oryzae , Colletotrichum capsici , C. lindemuthianum , Curvularia lunata , Fusarium culmorum , F. oxysporum , F. moniliforme , Macrophomina phaseolina , Rhizoctonia solani , and Pyricularia oryzae , showing their potential in antifungal protection of plants and wood [ 125 , 126 , 127 ]. Antifungal activity of theses extracts was attributed to the single or the synergistic effect of several compounds, including alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, saponins or tannins.…”

Phytochemical Compounds of Branches from P. halepensis Oily Liquid Extract and S. terebinthifolius Essential Oil and Their Potential Antifungal Activity

“…No fungal growth of A. tenuissima and F. culmorum occurred on the Acacia saligna wood surface treated with the methanol extract of Maclura pomifera bark [39]. Recently, the treated wood samples of Melia azedarach with the water extract of A. saligna flowers, the ethanol extract of Musa paradisiaca peels, the n-hexane oily extracts from Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Vitex agnus-castus, or with Withania somnifera fruit acetone extract showed good antifungal activity against several molds, such as F. culmorum, P. chrysogenum, and R. solani [3,7,8,40]. Furthermore, new green pesticides that act as alternatives, such as natural product-based pesticides, are being developed to replace compounds lost due to the new regulations [41].…”