Essential Oil of Achillea ligustica (Asteraceae) as an Antifungal Agent against Phytopathogenic Fungi

Abstract

The essential oil from the inflorescences of Ligurian yarrow ( Achillea ligustica All., Asteraceae) naturalized in Central Italy was investigated in order to evaluate the antifungal activity against five phytopathogenic fungi. The composition of the essential oil characterized by GC-FID and GC-MS, revealed linalool (24.8%), viridiflorol (9.6%), β-pinene (6.4%), 1,8-cineole (5.8%) and terpinen-4-ol (5.3%) as the major constituents. The antifungal activity was evaluated by the in vitro disc agar diffusion test and Agar vapor assay on 5 microbial strains. The essential oil showed a good antifungal activity against all fungal strains, being a valid candidate in the fight against plant pathogens that harm many traditional crops. The possible incorporation of this essential oil into antifungal preparations with a low environmental impact is hypothesized.