The in vitro evaluation of the antifungal potential of natural Capsicum annuum L. extract and synthetic compounds against the pathogens Alternaria spp. and Fusarium oxysporum.

In the last decade, interest in organic agriculture has been steadily gaining ground, leading to studies on the control and management of phytopathogens using plant extracts and essential oils. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antifungal potential of the natural extract obtained from the Capsicum annuum L. species, as well as synthetic compounds, as a control method against the pathogenic fungi Alternaria spp. and Fusarium oxysporum. The natural extract was used in four different concentrations (0.5%, 2%, 9%, and 12%) and was characterized in terms of total polyphenol content (TPC) using the Folin-Ciocâlteu spectrophotometric method, as well as its antioxidant activity using the DPPH radical scavenging method. The results of this study, in which Capsicum annuum L. extract was used, demonstrated high efficacy, showing an inhibitory percentage of 33.33% against the pathogen Alternaria spp., and 21.90% against the pathogen Fusarium oxysporum. Regarding the efficacy of synthetic products, it can be said that the mancozeb-based product at a concentration of 0.2% exhibited a strong antifungal effect on both pathogens, with an inhibition percentage of 100%.