Antiphytopathogenic Potential of Allium sativum L.: An In Vitro Study

Abstract

The available information on the phytochemical composition and antifungal activity of garlic clove against phytopathogens is very limited. The main aim of this research paper is to determine the in vitro antifungal activity of Alliumcloves extract against some isolated fungi viz., F. oxysporum, F. solani, F. moniliforme, H. sativum, C. lindemuthianum, C. lunata, R. solani, A. solani from different vegetables. Both the aqueous and alcoholic extracts of Allium were screened for the phytochemical constituents and were tested against fungal pathogens. Result of phytochemical screening, revealed the presence of different metabolites in different extracts.A. sativum found to be highly effective against all eight fungal pathogens and highest inhibition of mycelial growth was recorded in F. oxysporum, F. solani, F. moniliforme, H. sativum, C. lindemuthianum, C. lunata with 92.63% While methanol extract of A. sativum when tested highest inhibition on myceliall growth showed by F. solani with 89.58%

Introduction

Agriculture is crucial to India’s economy, but heavy use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides causes environmental and health issues, including pollution and resistance in pathogens. Natural plant products, such as garlic (Allium sativum), offer safer alternatives due to their antimicrobial properties.

Garlic contains sulfur-based bioactive compounds like allicin, which have strong antifungal effects. This study prepared aqueous and methanolic extracts of garlic and tested their antifungal activity against eight vegetable fungal pathogens using in vitro methods.

Results showed both extracts inhibited fungal growth significantly, with aqueous extracts generally more effective than methanolic ones. The highest inhibition (over 90%) was observed against several fungi such as Fusarium oxysporum and Colletotrichum species, while Alternaria solani was the most resistant. Phytochemical analysis detected saponins, steroids, and cardiac glycosides, which contribute to the antifungal effects.

The study confirms garlic’s potential as a natural antifungal agent, offering an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic chemicals. The effectiveness depends on the concentration and solvent used, with aqueous extracts showing stronger activity, likely due to better preservation of active compounds.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the in vitro results of this study confirmed the potentiality of A. sativumas one of the best sources for controlling fungal growth. Hence, further work is necessary to evaluate its potentiality in vivo on targeted pathogens. This can provide an alternative means for the control of vegetable diseases by farmers. Investigations are also needed to characterize, formulate and market the active principles of these extracts which may provide avenues for the discovery of novel antifungal compounds. These biofungicidal botanicals are environmentally safe; therefore, they could successfully replace the toxic and hazardous synthetic compounds and be exploited as ideal treatment for future plant disease management programs.

References

[1] Shaikh Farah T and Sahera Nasreen., (2021). Phytochemical screening and evaluation of antimicrobial activity of Zingiber Officinale L. International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts. 9(5): e829-e834. [2] Nega, A., (2014). Review on Concepts in Biological Control of Plant Pathogens. J. Biol. Agric. Healthc. 4, 33–55. [3] Santas J, Almajano MP, Carbo R. (2010). Antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of crude onion (Allium cepa L.) extracts. International Journal of Food Science Technology, 45: 403–409. [4] Shruti S., (2018) Studies on antimicrobial and phytochemical properties of Allium sativum extracts, International Journal of Innovative Research in Science, Engineering and Technology, 7, 5371-5376. [5] Najeeb U., Abida P., Rahat B., Iqra Z., Mukharma M., Sadia J.,Amna L. and Sohail A., (2016) In vitro and in vivo protocols of antimicrobial bioassay of medicinal herbal extracts: A review, Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Disease, 6,660-667 [6] Momoh J., Oluremi N.O. and Odetunde S.K., Antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of aqueous garlic (Allium sativum) extract against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, British Microbiology Research Journal, 14, 1-11 (2016) [7] El-Mahmood, A.M., AmeyJ.M.2007. In vitro antibacterial activity of Parkia biglobosa root back extract against some microorganisms associated with urinary infections. Afr. J. Biotechnol.,6(11): 1272-1275. [8] Mardomi R (2017) Determining the Chemical Compositions of Garlic Plant and its Existing Active Element. IOSR Journal of Applied Chemistry 10(1): 63-66. [9] Nene, Y. L. And P.N. Thapliyal. (1979), Fungicides in Plant Disease Control, Oxford and IBH Publishing House, New Delhi, pp 163. [10] Vincent, J. M., (1927). Distortion of fungal hyphae in presence of certain inhibitors. Nature, 59: 850. [11] Arify T., Ezhilvalavan S., Varun A., Sundaresan A. and Manimaran K., (2018) Qualitative phytochemical analysis of garlic (Allium sativum) and nilavembu (Andrographis paniculata), International Journal of Chemical Studies, 6, 1635-1638 [12] Mikail H.G., (2010) Phytochemical screening, elemental analysis and acute toxicity of aqueous extract of Allium sativum L. bulbs in experimental rabbits, Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, 4: 322-326 [13] L. Bayan, P.H. Koulivand and A. Gorji. Garlic: a review of potential therapeutic effects. Avicenna J Phytomed. 2014; 4(1):1-14. PMID: 25050296; PMCID: PMC4103721 [14] S. Redondo-Blanco, J. Fernández, S. López-Ibáñez, E.M. Miguélez, C.J. Villar, and F.Lombó. Plant phytochemicals in food preservation: Antifungal bioactivity: A review. J. of Fd Prot. 2020. 1;83 (1):163-71. DOI: 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-19-163 [15] Aboaba OO, Ezeh AR, Anabuike CL (2011) Antimicrobial activities of some Nigerian spices on some pathogens. Agriculture and Biology Journal of North America 2(8): 1187-1193. [16] Deresse D (2010) Antibacterial Effect of Garlic (Allium sativum) on Staphylococcus aureus: An in vitro Study. Asian Journal of Medical Sciences 2(2): 62-65. [17] Alhussaen, K. Hussein, E.I., Khalid, A.M.,Mahmoud, A., Wesan, A., Jacob, H.J.,Shatnawi,A.M., Ashraf, K., Hegazy, M.I. 2011. Identification and controlling Pythium species infecting tomato seedlings cultivated in Jordan valley using garlic extract. Asian J.Plant Pathol., 5: 84 92. [18] Aly, M.M., Bafiel, S. 2008. Screening for antimicrobial activity of some medicinal plants in Saudi Arabia. World conference on Medicinal and Aromatic plants. [19] Chanel K. Daniel, Cheryl L. Lennox and Filicity A. Vries. 2014. In-vitro effects of garlic extracts on pathogenic fungi Botrytis cinerea, Penicillium expansum and Neofabraea alba. South African Journal of Science.111(7/8):1-8

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Shaikh Farah T, Sahera Nasreen. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.