Enhanced Antioxidant, Antifungal, and Herbicidal Activities through Bioconversion of Diosgenin by Yarrowia lipolytica P01a

This study explores the bioconversion of diosgenin by <i>Yarrowia lipolytica P01a</i>, focusing on enhancing the antioxidant, antifungal, and herbicidal activities of the resulting extracts. The bioconversion process, involving glycosylation and hydroxylation, produced significant amounts of protodioscin and soyasaponin I. The extracts showed superior antioxidant activity, with up to 97.02% inhibition of ABTS· radicals and 33.30% inhibition of DPPH· radicals at 1000 mg L^-1 of diosgenin. Antifungal assays revealed strong inhibitory effects against <i>Botrytis cinerea</i>, <i>Alternaria</i> sp., and <i>Aspergillus niger</i>, with maximum inhibition rates of 67.34%, 35.63%, and 65.53%, respectively. Additionally, the herbicidal activity of the bioconverted extracts was comparable to commercial herbicides, achieving 100% inhibition of seed germination in both monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants. These findings suggest that the <i>Y. lipolytica P01a</i>-mediated bioconversion of diosgenin could provide a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative for developing natural biofungicides and bioherbicides.