Antifungal effects of pomegranate extract intercalated into silicate nanoparticles
against gray mold of apple (Botrytis cinerea)
Use of plant polyphenols as environmentally friendly fungicides are suggested. However the principal
problems of this compounds as fungicide is their rapid decomposition in normal environmental
conditions. One of the best solutions for this problem is encapsulation or intercalation them into
nanoparticles. In this way extract of pomegranate peel fruit peel and clove leaf were obtained by methanol
and was intercalated between the layers of montmorillonite and their antifungal effect was tested via agar
well-diffusion method against Botrytis cinerea. The results showed that both pomegranate fruit extract
and leaf clove extract havesignificant antifungal effect. Intercalation the extract into nanoparticles
increased the inhibitory effect of both components very significantly (p <.0..0). These results showed
that intercalation the polyphenols of plants into montmorillonite could be an environmentally friendly and
economic method for controlling Botrytis cinerea instead of chemical fungicides which have several
problems for human health.
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