Title: Synergistic effects of Vernonia amygdalina nanoemulsions in antifungal action and defense enzyme activation

Authors: Siti Fairuz Yusoff; Siti Izera Ismail; Shafeeqa Shahruddin; Zahir Shah Safari

Addresses: Agricultural Science Department, Faculty of Technical and Vocational, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, 35900, Tanjong Malim, Perak, Malaysia ' Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia ' Agricultural Science Department, Faculty of Technical and Vocational, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, 35900, Tanjong Malim, Perak, Malaysia ' Institute of Horticultural Production Systems, Leibniz University Hannover, Herrenhäuser Straße 2, 30419 Hannover, Germany

Abstract: Gray mould disease, caused by Botrytis cinerea, is a significant threat to tomato production. This study investigates the effects of Vernonia amygdalina nanoemulsions (VNFs) on defense enzyme activities in tomatoes under postharvest conditions (25 ± 2°C and RH 85%). Two formulations, F5 and F7, were applied to artificially inoculated fruits and compared with benomyl-treated and untreated controls. F5 demonstrated superior efficacy, inducing elevated activities of peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO), with sustained levels throughout storage. F7 exhibited prolonged phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity, indicating systemic resistance. VNFs outperformed synthetic fungicides by combining antifungal properties with host defense priming, reducing fungal growth and enhancing tomato immunity. This study highlights the potential of VNFs as eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic fungicides, offering sustainable strategies for postharvest disease management. Future work should focus on molecular pathways and field-scale validation of these promising formulations.

Keywords: Botrytis cinerea; gray mould; reactive oxygen species; ROS; defense enzymes; nanoemulsion; sustainable agriculture.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPTI.2025.151706

International Journal of Postharvest Technology and Innovation, 2025 Vol.10 No.1, pp.21 - 35

Received: 21 Nov 2024
Accepted: 04 Aug 2025
Published online: 16 Feb 2026 *

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