Determinación de la actividad antifúngica in vitro de aceites esenciales de Eucaliptus sp microencapsulados sobre Cladosporium fulvum

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antifungal activity of microencapsulated essential oils from Eucalyptus sp. against Cladosporium fulvum, the causal agent of leaf mold in greenhouse-grown tomato. The essential oil was extracted from Eucalyptus globulus leaves using steam distillation. Subsequently, the oil was microencapsulated by the spray-drying method, employing maltodextrin and gum arabic as encapsulating polymers in order to improve its physicochemical stability and handling properties. Antifungal activity was assessed through mycelial growth inhibition assays and by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) using the microdilution method. The results demonstrated that a concentration of 6% microencapsulated essential oil achieved 100% inhibition of C. fulvum mycelial growth, while the MIC was 5%. These values indicate high antifungal efficacy of the essential oil even at low concentrations. Furthermore, the results confirm that the microencapsulation process helps preserve the biological activity of the essential oil by reducing its volatility and promoting the controlled release of active compounds. Overall, the findings highlight the potential of microencapsulated Eucalyptus sp. essential oils as a natural, effective, and sustainable alternative to conventional synthetic fungicides for the management of C. fulvum in greenhouse tomato production systems, providing a solid basis for future field-scale evaluations and economic feasibility studies.