Fungicidal preparations from Inula viscose

Abstract

Inula viscosa is a perennial plant native to the Mediterranean Basin. Extracts made from the shoots of this plant exhibited a strong fungicidal activity in vitro and in vivo. TLC analyses revealed at least 7 fungicidal compounds. Most are lipophilic. When such extracts were sprayed on the leaf surface of crop plants they effectively controlled downy mildew in grape, cucumber and tabacco; late blight in potato and tomato; gray mold in cucumber and tomato; and, powdery mildew in cucurbits and cereals. Field experiments conducted with grape vine resulted in effective control of Plasmopara viticola. The data suggest that Inula viscosa is a useful source of herbal fungicidal preparations for agricultural use.