Assessment of the antifungal properties of water-ethanol extracts of Hericium erinaceus against phytopathogenic fungi of potato

Abstract

Background and Аim. This article presents the results of the study of antifungal activity of waterethanol extracts, obtained from dried fruit bodies of Hericium erinaceus (Bull.) Persoon (1797). The study focused on examining the impact of various extraction conditions on the inhibition of the growth of phytopathogenic fungi, namely Fusarium spp. and Alternaria spp., which are responsible for harmful potato diseases. The aim of this work was to evaluate the potential use of Hericium erinaceus (Bull.) Persoon (1797) extracts as a natural plant protection agent, and to determine optimal extraction conditions that would ensure maximum preservation of bioactive compounds.
Materials and Methods. Extracts obtained using the Soxhlet method at different temperatures and extraction times, were used in the study. Antifungal activity was evaluated using the disc diffusion method on potato-dextrose agar. The Citadel seed protectant, c.s. (thiamethoxam, 262.5 g/l + difenoconazole, 25 g/l + fludioxonil, 25 g/l), Astana-Nan LLP was used as a positive control. Sterile distilled water served as a negative control, and 80% ethanol served as an internal control.
Results. Among the six studied variants of water-ethanol extracts of Hericium erinaceus (Bull.) Persoon (1797) obtained under various temperature and time conditions, extract No. 15(65 °C, 15 h) demonstrated the highest effectiveness by inhibiting the growth of Fusarium spp. by 93%. The same extract No. 15 showed pronounced antifungal activity against Alternaria spp., where inhibition of pathogen growth reached 5.75% with medium colonization up to 94%.

Conclusion. The results confirm the promising use of water ethanol extracts of Hericium erinaceus (Bull.) Persoon (1797) for the biological protection of potato against Fusarium spp. and Alternaria spp.