OnlineFirst Articles
EUPHRESCO III-Special Issue on Plant Health Priorities-RESEARCH PAPERS

Antimicrobial activity of plant extracts against Erwinia amylovora

Dounya BOUAICHA
Laboratory of Phytopathology and Molecular Biology / Botany Department / Higher National Agronomic School (ENSA), EL-Harrach, Algeria
Samia LAALA
Laboratory of Phytopathology and Molecular Biology / Botany Department / Higher National Agronomic School (ENSA), EL-Harrach, Algeria
Hanane DJABALI
Laboratory of Phytopathology and Molecular Biology / Botany Department / Higher National Agronomic School (ENSA), EL-Harrach, Algeria
Carmine DEL GROSSO
Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council (CNR), Bari, Italy
Stefano TODISCO
Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Ambientale, del Territorio, Edile e di Chimica (DICATECh), Politecnico di Bari, Via Orabona 4, 70125, Bari, Italy
Smain CHEMAT
Laboratory of chemistry Research Center Scientific and Technical in Analyzes Physico-chemical (CRAPC), Tipaza, Algeria
Ali KERROUM
Laboratory of Phytopathology and Molecular Biology / Botany Department / Higher National Agronomic School (ENSA), EL-Harrach, Algeria
Franco VALENTINI
International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM Bari), via Ceglie 9, 70010 Valenzano (Ba), Italy

Published 2026-07-12

Keywords

  • Biocontrol,
  • pomegranate,
  • pome fruits,
  • essential oils,
  • bioactive compounds

How to Cite

[1]
D. BOUAICHA, “Antimicrobial activity of plant extracts against Erwinia amylovora”, Phytopathol. Mediterr., Jul. 2026.

Abstract

Fire blight poses severe economic risks for production from economically important crops. This study assessed in vitro and in vivo antibacterial activity against Erwinia amylovora of non-volatile organic and aqueous extracts (from fruit peels or leaves) from pomegranate (Punica granatum), onion (Allium cepa), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus), and garlic (Allium sativum). The ethanolic extract from pomegranate peel exhibited the greatest and most consistent antimicrobial activity in three in vitro assays (reverse agar plugs, wells, and disc diffusion). This extract also reduced disease severity during in vivo bioassays with immature pear fruits or detached leaves. Chemical characterization using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy indicated that this bioactivity was associated with the presence of compounds identified as the ellagitannins α- and β-punicalagin. These results highlight the potential of pomegranate peel extract as a potential biocontrol agent for fire blight management.

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