Evaluación de la actividad antifúngica de los aceites esenciales microencapsulados de Salvia rosmarinus (romero) y Mentha piperita (menta negra) frente a Cladosporium fulvum Cooke

Abstract

Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) is an aromatic plant with a long history of use in traditional medicine. As an essential oil, it provides various functions, the most notable being its antifungal activity due to its chemical composition of cineole and borneol. On the other hand, Peppermint (Mentha piperita) is an aromatic plant known for its intense flavor and minty aroma. Its essential oil contains potent antifungal properties, largely attributed to menthol, which can disrupt fungal cell membranes or completely inhibit fungal growth. This study focused on evaluating the antifungal activity of microencapsulated essential oils of rosemary and black peppermint against Cladosporium fulvum Cooke. The oils were encapsulated using the spray-drying microencapsulation method, employing a mixture of maltodextrin and gum arabic as microencapsulating polymers. In vitro tests were conducted with different concentrations of the treatments under study and compared with a control group. Results showed that black peppermint essential oil was the most effective in controlling the phytopathogenic fungus, achieving a 66.8 percent inhibitory effect on mycelial growth. These findings suggest that the microencapsulation technique for essential oils holds great potential as a natural fungicide to control the phytopathogen C. fulvum Cooke in crops, offering a sustainable and environmentally friendly solution.