ANTIFUNGAL PROPERTIES IN TAGETES SPECIES.

Abstract

Mexico is center of diversity of species of Tagetes, genus of broad spectrum of biological action but limited information. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antifungal activity of essential oils (EO) and aqueous extracts (AE) of five species of Tagetes, in one isolate of the fungus Monilinia fruticola and 10 isolates of Sclerotium rolfsii. EO and AE were evaluated at 0.1% and 2% respectively, incorporated into PDA medium. In S. rolfsii mycelial growth was inhibited in all isolates with EO of T. filifolia and T. lucida AE. In all treatments the production of sclerotia was minor than in the control. Treatment with T. lucida EO the production of esclerotia was inhibited in all isolates and with the rest of the species the response was variable and in some cases stimulatory. In M. fruticola, treatment with T. lucida AE inhibited mycelial growth but their EO was fungistatic. The EO of all species of Tagetes and AE of T. foetidissima, T. lucida and T. erecta inhibited M. fructicola sporulation. AE of T. filifolia and T. coronopifolia stimulated sporulation of this fungus.