Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Pseudopestalotiopsis camelliae-sinensis are the two most important tea plant (Camellia sinensis L.) pathogenic fungi. Interest in natural plant extracts as alternatives to synthetic chemical fungicides to control plant pathogens is growing. In this study, the volatile fraction of Baeckea frutescens L. was extracted by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE-CO2), and its chemical composition was analyzed, and investigated for its antifungal activity against C. gloeosporioides and P. camelliae. The major constituents of the volatile fraction were β-caryophyllene (28.05%), α-caryophyllene (24.02%), δ-cadinene (6.29%) and eucalyptol (5.46%) in B. frutescens SFE-CO2 extracts. The terpineol, linalool, terpinen-4-ol and eucalyptol showed strong contact antifungal activity against P. camelliae and C. gloeosporioides with median inhibitory concentration (MIC50) in the range of 0.69 μL/mL to 2.79 μL/mL and 0.62 μL/mL to 2.18 μL/mL, respectively. Additionally, the volatile fraction had high fumigation antifungal activity against P. camelliae and C. gloeosporioides with an inhibition rate between 20.87% and 92.91%. Terpineol presented the highest antifungal activity in the contact and fumigation toxicity assays. Terpineol, linalool, terpinen-4-ol and eucalyptol were associated with the most active chemical compounds in the volatile fraction against the fungi. The results suggest that B. frutescens SFE-CO2 extracts are potential ingredients to develop a natural fungicide for control of tea plant pathogens.
Keywords: Baeckea frutescens; Camellia sinensis; Colletotrichum gloeosporioides; Pseudopestalotiopsis camelliae-sinensis; antifungal activity; pathogenic fungi; supercritical fluid extraction; tea tree plant diseases.