Effect of ethanol extract of fig residue (Ficus carica) on growth of postharvest fungi

Abstract

The residue generated during fig production is a novel alternative to elaborate biofungicides. Polyphenols are compounds that are present mainly in the skin of fig fruit and have antioxidant and antimicrobial activity and this waste was used to quantify phenols, anthocyanins and  antioxidant activity. They were used to determine its effect on  Mycelial Growth rate (TG), Mycelial Growth Inhibition (MGI), sporulation and germination of the spores of phytopathogenic fungi Colletotrichum acutatum, Fusarium solani, Penicillium oxallicum and Rhizopus stolonifer, at concentrations of 2.5 to 50 mg mL-1. An ANOVA and test of Tukey were applied. The concentration of total polyphenols and anthocyanins were higher in the skin of the fig, compared with those of the ethanolic extract. In contrast, the antioxidant capacity of the extract was higher at 32.9 ?mol g-1 compared with fig skin 21.7 ?mol g-1. In general, the fungi presented TC similary to the control and low MGI of 23 to 30%. The sporulation was not observed in F. solani at concentrations of 7.5 to 25 mg mL-1. The percentage of germination of spores in R. stolonifer was from 0% at 50 mg mL-1.