Sains Malaysiana 50(6)(2021): 1589-1598

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2021-5006-07

Antifungal Activity of Aqueous Plant Extracts and Effects on Morphological and Germination of Fusarium Fruit Rot Pathogens

(Aktiviti Antikulat Ekstrak Tumbuhan Akueos dan Kesannya kepada Morfologi dan Percambahan oleh Patogen Reput Buah Fusarium)

NUR BAITI ABD MURAD¹, MUSKHAZLI MUSTAFA¹, KHOZIRAH SHAARI² & NUR AIN IZZATI MOHD ZAINUDIN¹*

¹Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

²Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Received: 22 June 2020/Accepted: 31 October 2020

ABSTRACT

Fusarium fruit rot caused by Fusarium species pathogens can be considered a threat to economic loss. The use of synthetic antifungals to control the pathogens has failed to the development of resistance of pathogens. Previous studies reported that plant extracts may contain various bioactive constituents that are able to control pathogen growth. Hence, the aims of this study are to examine the inhibition activity of some plant fresh extracts on mycelial growth and morphological changes of Fusarium oxysporum, F. proliferatum, and F. solani, causal agents of Fusarium fruit rot. Aqueous extract of selected plants was evaluated for their inhibition activity against all the three Fusarium pathogens under in vitro condition using poisoned food bioassay. Averrhoa bilimbi fruit extract demonstrated a highly significant effect against mycelial growth of the pathogens with fungal inhibition percentage of 80.51% for F. oxysporum, 61.28% for F. proliferatum and 58.97% for F. solani. The results showed that the highest formation of 100% extract has lowered the conidia concentration and germination percentage of F. oxysporum (35.43%), F. proliferatum (47.61%), and F. solani (38.67%) compared to the control. Significant shriveled mycelia were observed via scanning electron microscope (SEM) on the pathogens treated with A. bilimbi extract, indicating morphological changes occurred in the cell membrane compared to the control in which the mycelia were in normal form. This innovation, which can be prepared and applied at home, has the potential as an eco-friendly and a benign approach to control fruit rot pathogen.

Keywords: Antifungal activity; Fusarium species; in vitro; plant extracts; SEM

ABSTRAK

Penyakit Fusarium reput buah oleh jangkitan patogen spesiesFusarium mengakibatkan kerugian dalam sektor ekonomi. Kekerapan penggunaan racun sintetik antikulat bagi mengawal patogen menyebabkan patogen menjadi lebih rintang. Kajian terdahulu mendapati bahawa ekstrak tumbuhan mempunyai pelbagai kandungan bahan bioaktif yang mampu mengawal pertumbuhan patogen pada hasil tanaman. Oleh itu, matlamat kajian ini adalah untuk mengkaji aktiviti perencatan oleh beberapa ekstrak segar tumbuhan terhadap pertumbuhan miselium dan perubahan morfologi patogen yang menyebabkan penyakit Fusarium reput buah seperti Fusarium oxysporum, F. proliferatum dan F. solani. Ekstrak akueos daripada beberapa tumbuhan terpilih dinilai dari segi kesan aktiviti perencatannya ke atas ketiga-tiga patogen spesies Fusarium secara in vitro dengan menggunakan kaedah bioassai makanan beracun. Ekstrak buah Averrhoa bilimbi (bilimbing buluh) menunjukkan kesan yang amat ketara dalam mengawal pertumbuhan miselium patogen dengan peratusan perencatan sebanyak 80.51% bagi F. oxysporum, 61.28% bagi F. proliferatum dan 58.97% bagi F. solani. Hasil kajian mendapati kepekatan ekstrak tertinggi sebanyak 100% memberi kesan dalam penghasilan dan percambahan spora patogen yang rendah, iaitu hanya 35.43% bagiF. oxysporum, 47.61% bagi F. proliferatum dan 38.67% bagi F. solani apabila dibandingkan dengan patogen kawalan masing-masing. Pengecutan miselium yang ketara ke atas patogen yang diberikan rawatan ekstrak buah belimbing buluh dapat diperhatikan melalui SEM yang menunjukkan bahawa terdapat perubahan morfologi pada sel membran jika dibandingkan dengan patogen kawalan yang masih dalam keadaan normal. Inovasi yang dapat dihasilkan dan diguna pakai di rumah ini mempunyai potensi sebagai salah satu cara pengawalan patogen penyakit reput buah yang mesra alam dan menjimatkan kos.

Kata kunci: Aktiviti antikulat; ekstrak tumbuhan; in vitro; SEM; spesies Fusarium

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*Corresponding author; email: ainizzati@upm.edu.my