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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