Open Access

ARTICLE

Evaluation of the Antifungal Activity of Aqueous Extracts of Corrigiola telephiifolia and Marrubium vulgare against Major Post-Harvest Citrus Diseases

Hajar Zennouhi^1,2, Rachid Ez-zouggari^1,3, Mamadou Traoré¹, Abderrahim Lazraq², Saadia Belmalha⁴, Rachid Lahlali^1,*

1 Phytopathology Unit, Department of Plant Protection, Ecole Nationale d’Agriculture de Meknès, Km10, Rte Haj Kaddour, Meknes, Morocco
2 Laboratory of Functional Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco
3 Laboratory of Biotechnology, Conservation and Valorisation of Bioresources (LBCVBR), Faculty of Sciences, Dhar El Mehraz, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdallah University, Fez, Morocco
4 Department of Plant and Environment Protection, National School of Agriculture, Ecole Nationale d’Agriculture de Meknes, Route Haj Kaddour, Meknes, Morocco

* Corresponding Author: Rachid Lahlali. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Innovations in Post-Harvest Disease Control and Quality Preservation of Horticultural Crops)

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2026, 95(4), 7 https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2026.078088

Received 23 December 2025; Accepted 09 March 2026; Issue published 28 April 2026

Abstract

Citrus fruits are highly susceptible to post-harvest diseases such as green rot (Penicillium digitatum), blue rot (P. italicum), and sour rot (Geotrichum citri-aurantii), causing significant economic losses. Due to the risks associated with synthetic fungicides and the emergence of resistant strains, natural alternatives are needed. This study evaluated the antifungal activity of aqueous extracts of Corrigiola telephiifolia and Marrubium vulgare. In vitro tests were conducted using PDA medium with extract concentrations of 12.5–100 mg/mL and in vivo assays were performed on artificially wounded oranges with the same extract concentrations. In vitro tests showed strong inhibition of mycelial growth and spore germination, with C. telephiifolia reducing pathogen growth by over 70–89%. In vivo assays confirmed its effectiveness, completely preventing green rot at 12.5 mg/mL and significantly reducing sour rot. Phytochemical analysis revealed high levels of polyphenols and flavonoids in C. telephiifolia. These findings suggest that aqueous extracts of C. telephiifolia are a safe and sustainable alternative to synthetic fungicides for managing post-harvest citrus diseases.

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