Evaluation of the antibacterial properties of essential oils and plant extracts against potato blackleg pathogens

The antibacterial activity of 25 samples of essential oils and seven aqueous samples and ethanolic plant extracts was evaluated against the complex of potato blackleg pathogens Dickeya chrysanthemi, Pectobacterium odoriferum, Dickeya didantii and Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum. To identify the described species, studies of pathogens were carried out in vitro with a skin diffusion test on agar, requiring minimal inhibitory (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBC) of essential oils and plant extracts. Based on the results of screening for studies in the field of health, in vivo conditions, the essential oils of the common oregano, Chinese cinnamon, clove, as well as ethanol extracts of thick-leaved badan and common oak bark were selected. In the course of further testing, the ability of essential oils and extracts to prevent potato tuber maceration when used for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes was evaluated. With therapeutic use of the above essential oils at a concentration of 40 mg/ml or more and plant extracts at a concentration of 150 mg/ml or more, the biological effectiveness was 12.4–48.7%, and with prophylactic use – 35.3–100%. GC–MS and GC-FID analyzes showed that the main component of oregano essential oil was carvacrol (62.32%), Chinese cinnamon – cinnamaldehyde (84.25%), clove – eugenol (76.98%). Acetic (27.85%) and caproic (28.52%) acids predominated in the compositions of the extracts of thick-leaved badan and common oak, respectively.

1. Kha V.T.N., Dzhalilov F.S.U. Antibakterial’naya aktivnost’ efirnykh masel i ikh ispol’zovanie dlya obezzarazhivaniya semyan kapusty ot sosudistogo bakterioza [Antibacterial activity of essential oils and their use for disinfection of cabbage seeds from vascular bacteriosis]. Izvestiya Timiryazevskoy sel’skokhozyaystvennoy akademii. 2014; 6: 59–68. (In Rus.)

2. Alam A., Rehman N.U., Ansari M.N., Palla A.H. Effects of essential oils of Elettaria cardamomum grown in India and Guatemala on gram-negative bacteria and gastrointestinal disorders. Molecules. 2021; 26 (9): 2546.

3. Alkan D., Yemenicioğl A. Potential application of natural phenolic antimicrobials and edible film technology against bacterial plant pathogens. Food Hydrocolloids. 2016; 55: 1–10.

4. Ambrico A., Trupo M., Magarelli R., Balducchi R., Ferraro A., Hristoforou E. Effectiveness of Dunaliella salina extracts against Bacillus subtilis and bacterial plant pathogens. Pathogens. 2020; 9 (8): 613.

5. Amri I., Gargouri S., Hamrouni L., Hanana M., Fezzani T., Jamoussi B. Chemical composition, phytotoxic and antifungal activities of Pinus pinea essential oil. Journal of pest science. 2012; 85 (2): 199–207.

6. Baghaee-Ravari S.B., Moslemkhani K., Khodaygan P. Assessment of genetic variability of prevalent pectinolytic bacteria causing potato tuber soft rot in eastern Iran. Journal of Plant Pathology. 2013: 107–113.

7. Baharum S.N., Bunawan H., Ghani M.A.A., Mustapha W.A.W., Noor N.M. Analysis of the chemical composition of the essential oil of Polygonum minus Huds. using two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF MS). Molecules. 2010; 15 (10): 7006–7015.

8. Behidj-Benyounes N., Letifi S., Slamani L., Itouchene D., Dahmane T. Study of antibacterial activity of a range of plant extracts against the causative agent of potato blackleg disease (pectobacterium). International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference: SGEM. 2017; 17: 999–1006.

9. Bhardwaj S.K., Laura J S. Potential use of some plant-extracts against Fusarium moniliforme. ORYZA-An International Journal on Rice. 2008; 45 (1): 48–52.

10. Bhat K A., Viswanath H.S., Bhat N.A., Wani T.A. Bioactivity of various ethanolic plant extracts against Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum causing soft rot of potato tubers. Indian Phytopathology. 2017; 70 (4): 463–470.

11. CLSI, Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Methods for Dilution Antimicrobial Susceptibility Tests for Bacteria That Grow Aerobically; Approved Standard, 10th ed.; CLSI document M07-A10; Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute: Wayne, PA, USA, 2015.

12. Dhaliwal H.J.S., Thind T.S., Chander M. Relative activity of essential oils from plants against Penicillium digitatum causing post-harvest fruit rot of Kinnow mandarin. Plant Dis. Res. 2004; 19: 140–143.

13. El Gendy A.N., Leonardi M., Mugnaini L., Bertelloni F., Ebani V.V., Nardoni S., Manciantic F., Hendawya S. Omer E., Pistelli L. Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oil of wild and cultivated Origanum syriacum plants grown in Sinai, Egypt. Industrial Crops and Products. 2015; 67: 201–207.

14. Fisher K., Phillips C.A. The effect of lemon, orange and bergamot essential oils and their components on the survival of Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli O157, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus in vitro and in food systems. Journal of applied microbiology. 2006; 101 (6): 1232–1240.

15. Gebarowska E., Politowicz J., Szumny A. Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of Geranium robertianum L. essential oil. Acta poloniae pharmaceutica. 2017; 74 (2): 699–705.

16. Gerayeli N., Baghaee-Ravari S., Tarighi S. Evaluation of the antagonistic potential of Bacillus strains against Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum and their role in the induction of resistance to potato soft rot infection. European Journal of Plant Pathology. 2018; 150 (4): 1049–1063.

17. Hajian-Maleki H., Baghaee-Ravari S., Moghaddam M. Herbal essential oils exert a preservative effect against the potato soft rot disease. Scientia Horticulturae. 2021; 285: 110192.

18. Harborne J.B. Phytochemical methods: A guide to modern techniques of plant analysis. Chapman & Hall Pub. London, UK., 1998.

19. Huang D.F., Xu J.G., Liu J X., Zhang H., Hu Q.P. Chemical constituents, antibacterial activity and mechanism of action of the essential oil from Cinnamomum cassia bark against four food-related bacteria. Microbiology. 2014; 83 (4): 357–365.

20. Ikeura H., Kobayashi F. Antimicrobial and antifungal activity of volatile extracts of 10 herb species against Glomerella cingulata. International Journal of Biology. 2015; 7 (9): 77.

21. Inglis D., Schroeder B.K., Johnson D.A. Bacterial Soft Rot and Lenticel Spot on Potato Tubers. Washington State University Extension, 2011.

22. Javed B., Nadhman A. Optimization, characterization and antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles against plant bacterial pathogens phyto-synthesized by Mentha longifolia. Materials Research Express. 2020; 7 (8): 085406.

23. Jianu C., Pop G., Gruia A., Horhat F.G. Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oils of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia) grown in Western Romania. International journal of agriculture and biology. 2013; 15 (4).

24. Joshi J.R., Burdman S., Lipsky A., Yedidia I. Effects of plant antimicrobial phenolic compounds on virulence of the genus Pectobacterium. Research in microbiology. 2015; 166 (6): 535–545.

25. Kalleli F., Ghassen A.B.I.D., Salem I.B., Boughalleb-M’Hamdi N., M’Hamdi M. Essential oil from fennel seeds (Foeniculum vulgare) reduces Fusarium wilt of tomato (Solanum lycopersicon). Phytopathologia Mediterranea. 2020; 59 (1): 63–76.

26. Khosravipour S., Rezaeian-Doloei R. Antibacterial activity of Carum copticum essential oil against Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum and Escherichia coli in nutrient broth medium. 2015.

27. Kotan R., Cakir A., Ozer H., Kordali S., Cakmakci R., Dadasoglu F., Kazaz C., Dikbas N., Aydin Т. Antibacterial effects of Origanum onites against phytopathogenic bacteria: Possible use of the extracts from protection of disease caused by some phytopathogenic bacteria. Scientia Horticulturae. 2014; 172: 210–220.

28. Kraśniewska K., Gniewosz M., Synowiec A., Przybył J.L., Bączek K., Węglarz Z. The application of pullulan coating enriched with extracts from Bergenia crassifolia to control the growth of food microorganisms and improve the quality of peppers and apples. Food and bioproducts processing. 2015; 94: 422–433.

29. Lapwood D.H., Read P.J., Spokes J. Methods for assessing the susceptibility of potato tubers of different cultivars to rotting by Erwinia carotovora subspecies atroseptica and carotovora. Plant Pathology. 1984; 33 (1): 13–20.

30. Lemes R. ., Alves C.C., Estevam E.B., Santiago M.B., Martins C.H., Santos T.C.D, Crotti A.E.M., Miranda M.L. Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of essential oils from Citrus aurantifolia leaves and fruit peel against oral pathogenic bacteria. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências. 2018; 90: 1285–1292.

31. Nahar L., El-Seedi H.R., Khalifa S.A., Mohammadhosseini M., Sarker S.D. Ruta essential oils: Composition and bioactivities. Molecules. 2021; 26 (16): 4766.

32. Nissen L., Zatta A., Stefanini I., Grandi S., Sgorbati B., Biavati B., Monti A. Characterization and antimicrobial activity of essential oils of industrial hemp varieties (Cannabis sativa L.). Fitoterapia. 2010; 81 (5): 413–419.

33. Nouri M., Baghaee-Ravari S., Emadzadeh B. Nano-emulsified savory and thyme formulation show limited efficacy to suppress Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum compared with pure oil. Industrial Crops and Products. 2021; 161: 113216.

34. Oliva M.D.L.M., Carezzano M.E., Giuliano M., Daghero J., Zygadlo J., Bogino P., Giordano W., Demo M. Antimicrobial activity of essential oils of Thymus vulgaris and Origanum vulgare on phytopathogenic strains isolated from soybean. Plant Biology. 2015; 17 (3): 758–765.

35. Radušienė J., Judžentienė A., Pečiulytė D., Janulis V. Essential oil composition and antimicrobial assay of Acorus calamus leaves from different wild populations. Plant Genetic Resources. 2007; 5 (1): 37–44.

36. Redfern J., Kinninmonth M., Burdass D., Verran J. Using soxhlet ethanol extraction to produce and test plant material (essential oils) for their antimicrobial properties. Journal of microbiology & biology education. 2014; 15 (1): 45–46.

37. Rastgou M., Rezaee Danesh Y., Ercisli S., Sayyed R.Z., El Enshasy H.A., Dailin D.J., Alfarraj S., Ansari M.J. The Effect of Some Wild Grown Plant Extracts and Essential Oils on Pectobacterium betavasculorum: The Causative Agent of Bacterial Soft Rot and Vascular Wilt of Sugar Beet. Plants. 2022; 11 (9): 1155.

38. Ravari S.B., Moslemkhani K., Khodaygan P. Assessment of genetic variability of prevalent pectinolytic bacteria causing potato tuber soft rot in eastern Iran. Journal of Plant Pathology. 2013: 107–113.

39. Salamci E., Kordali S., Kotan R., Cakir A., Kaya Y. Chemical compositions, antimicrobial and herbicidal effects of essential oils isolated from Turkish Tanacetum aucheranum and Tanacetum chiliophyllum var. chiliophyllum. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology. 2007; 35 (9): 569–581.

40. Salamon I., Kryvtsova M., Bucko D., Tarawneh A.H. Chemical characterization and antimicrobial activity of some essential oils after their industrial large-scale distillation. Journal of microbiology, biotechnology and food sciences. 2021; 2021: 984–988.

41. Sameza M.L., Nguemnang Mabou L.C., Tchameni S.N., Boat Bedine M.A., Tchoumbougnang F., Jazet Dongmo P.M., Boyom Fekam F. Evaluation of clove essential oil as a mycobiocide against Rhizopus stolonifer and Fusarium solani, tuber rot causing fungi in yam (Dioscorea rotundata Poir.). Journal of Phytopathology. 2016; 164 (7–8): 433–440.

42. Soltan H.R., Ahmed S.M., Emam D.A. Comparative antibacterial activity of garlic essential oil extracted by hydro-distillation and diethyl ether extraction methods on four pathogenic bacteria. Adv Plants Agric Res. 2016; 4 (2): 261–264.

43. Sookto T., Srithavaj T., Thaweboon S., Thaweboon B., Shrestha B. In vitro effects of Salvia officinalis L. essential oil on Candida albicans. Asian Pacific journal of tropical biomedicine. 2013; 3 (5): 376–380.

44. Vasilchenko A.S., Poshvina D.V., Sidorov R.Y., Iashnikov A.V., Rogozhin E.A., Vasilchenko A.V. Oak bark (Quercus sp. cortex) protects plants through the inhibition of quorum sensing mediated virulence of Pectobacterium carotovorum. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology. 2022; 38 (11): 1–12.

45. Vieira V., Pereira C., Abreu R.M., Calhelha R.C., Alves M.J., Coutinho J.A., Ferreira О., Barros L., Ferreira I.C. Hydroethanolic extract of Juglans regia L. green husks: A source of bioactive phytochemicals. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2020; 137: 111189.

46. Xiao Nan Y., Sun Chul K. Chemical composition, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of essential oil from Korean Citrus unshiu peel. Journal of Agricultural chemistry and Environment. 2013; 2013.

47. Zaouali Y., Bouzaine T., Boussaid M. Essential oils composition in two Rosmarinus officinalis L. varieties and incidence for antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2010; 48 (11): 3144–3152.