Evaluation of Antifungal Activity of Ethanolic Extracts of Some Medicinal Plants from Ilam Province Against the Wheat Take All Pathogen and Identification of Bioactive Compounds by GC–MS

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 M.Sc. Student, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilam, Ilam, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Ilam, Iran.

3 Assistant Professor, Plant Protection Research Department Fars Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center. AREEO, Shiraz, Iran.

4 Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran.

5 Plant Protection Organization, Ilam Agricultural Jihad Organization, Ilam, Iran.

10.22092/bcpp.2026.371994.410

Abstract

Take‑all disease of wheat, caused by the soil‑borne fungus Gaeumannomyces tritici var. tritici, is considered one of the most important constraints on wheat production in many regions of the world. Given the environmental concerns associated with the extensive use of chemical fungicides, the identification of safe and natural alternatives for disease control has attracted increasing attention. The present study aimed to evaluate the antifungal activity of ethanolic extracts of Eucalyptus sp., Thymus vulgaris., Salvia officinalis, Marrubium vulgare, and Scrophularia striata against G. tritici var. tritici under in vitro conditions. Plant extracts were assessed at concentrations of 250, 500, 1000, and 2000 ppm using the poisoned food technique on potato dextrose agar (PDA). The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replicates, and the percentage of mycelial growth inhibition was recorded seven days after incubation. The results demonstrated that increasing extract concentrations significantly enhanced fungal growth inhibition. The highest inhibitory effect was observed with eucalyptus extract at 2000 ppm, which suppressed more than 90% of fungal growth. Thymus vulgaris and Scrophularia striata extracts also exhibited considerable antifungal activity, whereas Marrubium vulgare extract showed the lowest inhibitory effect at all tested concentrations. Subsequently, the chemical constituents of the most effective extracts were identified using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Chemical analysis revealed that compounds such as spathulenol, thymol, carvacrol, and dihydrobenzofuran may play a key role in the antifungal activity of these plant extracts.
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References

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BioControl in Plant Protection
Volume 12, Issue 2
December 2025
Pages 115-132

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