Carmela Carta

Activity of the Oil of Salvia officinalis L. Against Botrytis cinerea

ABSTRACT The action of Salvia officinalis L. essential oil, of its hydrocarbon and oxygenated fractions, and of its main components, α- and β-thujone, 1,8-cineole and camphor, were tested on a strain of Botrytis cinerea Pers. a chrysanthemum pathogen (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat) and compared with the action of two synthetic plant fungicides, iprodione and benomyl, on the same fungus. The essential oil, its oxygenated fraction and the camphor showed fungicidal activity in doses of 2.2, 1.85 and 1.75 g/L respectively. The hydrocarbon fraction, the α- and β-thujone and the 1,8-cineole had no significant effect on the test organism. Iprodione had only a fungistatic action and benomyl was unable to completely inhibit the growth of die fungus, even at maximum doses.

In Vivo Activity of Salvia officinalis Oil against Botrytis cinerea

Abstract The effects of some formulations of Salvia officinalis oil and camphor on tomato plants infected with Botrytis cinerea are reported. Aqueous dispersions of the oil were prepared, absorbed in a swelling matrix of semisynthetic copolymers obtained by the graft polymerization of acrylic monomers on gelled starch. Preliminary results showed that in vivo these formulations inhibited growth of the mycelium at concentrations of between 5 and 10 g/L. Protection against experimental infection with B. cinerea was comparable to that obtained with Dichlofluanid, one of the most effective synthetic fungicides against the pathogen, at a concentration of 1.5 g/L. This encourages further research in this field to determine whether essential oils could be used in combination with synthetic fungicides as a measure to reduce environmental pollution and also to prevent the development of resistant strains.