Evaluation of soapberry (Sapindus saponaria L.) leaf extract against papaya anthracnose

ABSTRACT Chemical fungicides provide the primary means to control fungal infection in fruits and vegetables in the postharvest. Exploitation of natural products to control decay and prolong the storage life of perishables has received more attention. In this study, hydroethanolic extracts from the leaves of soapberry (Sapindus saponaria L.) were investigated for their inhibitory activity against the fungus Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, the causal agent of anthracnose in papaya fruits. To evaluate the antifungal activity of the plant extract, the latter was incorporated into potato-dextrose-agar (PDA) medium at different concentrations (10, 50 and 100 mg mL-1), and mycelial growth inhibition, spore production inhibition and morphological changes were evaluated at room temperature after 7 days. Efficacy of the extract was noted when it was used at 50 mg mL-1 and 100 mg mL-1, resulting in a reduction in the mycelial growth (P