MYCOLab Ai Logo - gold and army green

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles by sweet cherry and its application against cherry spot disease

Summary

Researchers developed a natural, eco-friendly method to fight a fungal disease that damages sweet cherries after harvest. Using tiny silver particles created from cherry fruit extracts, they successfully stopped the growth of harmful Alternaria fungi. This approach offers farmers an environmentally safe alternative to traditional chemical fungicides while protecting cherry crops from rot.

Background

Sweet cherry cultivation in Asia faces significant yield losses due to Alternaria disease, particularly Alternaria alternata causing soft spot rot. Traditional chemical and biological treatments have limited effectiveness. Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles offers a promising environmentally friendly alternative.

Objective

To isolate and identify Alternaria isolates responsible for sweet cherry soft spot rot, and to develop biosynthesized silver nanoparticles from sweet cherry fruit kernel exudates as an antifungal agent to combat Alternaria alternata pathogenicity.

Results

The CHM-4 isolate was identified as the most pathogenic Alternaria alternata strain with 95% similarity to reference sequences. Biosynthesized silver nanoparticles averaged 24.97 nm in size with spherical morphology. SNPs demonstrated dose-dependent inhibition of fungal mycelial growth and completely inhibited spore germination at 40 μg/ml concentration.

Conclusion

Silver nanoparticles synthesized from sweet cherry kernel exudates represent an effective and environmentally friendly alternative to chemical fungicides for managing cherry spot disease caused by Alternaria alternata. The results support the potential application of biosynthetic nanoparticles in agricultural disease management with minimal environmental impact.
  • Published in:Heliyon,
  • Study Type:Experimental Research,
  • Source: PMID: 38813185, DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31508
Scroll to Top