Exploring the Potential of Blueberry Extracts as Natural Antifungal and Bioherbicidal Agents in Agriculture: Composition and Antioxidant Activity

Abstract

Abstract This study aims to investigate the composition of essential oils, antioxidant activity, total phenolic and flavonoid content, as well as antifungal and herbicidal activities of the methanol extract of Vaccinium myrtillus collected from two different locations. Using GC/MS analysis, the plant essential oils from Muğla and Mersin locations were found to contain 20 and 19 components, respectively. The main components identified in the essential oils from Muğla and Mersin were α-Pinene (29.16%-15.75%), Eucalyptol (22.19%-26.46%), and Linalool(12.66%-25.27%). The methanol extracts of plant collected from two different areas were tested for antifungal activity against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (SS), Fusarium oxysporum f sp. melonis (FOM), Fusarium oxysporum f sp. cucumerinum (FOC), and Rhizoctonia solani (RS). At a dose of 3000 ppm, the extracts inhibited mycelium growth by 78.00%, 73.31%, 46.33%, and 31.43% for SS, FOM, FOC, and RS, respectively. In allelopathy tests, the methanol extract of blueberry at a dose of 3000 ppm completely suppressed root-shoot development of Taraxacum officinale, while it significantly inhibited root-shoot development of Rumex crispus seed germination compared to the control. In addition, the plant exhibited significant antioxidant activity.These findings are significant as they provide insights for the development of new natural antifungal agents with potential applications in agriculture.