O.O. Oladele , F.D. Oyedokun , D.M. Adebomi

Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Federal University of Technology, PMB 704, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria
Author    Correspondence author
Medicinal Plant Research, 2026, Vol. 16, No. 1   
Received: 04 Feb., 2026    Accepted: 27 Feb., 2026    Published: 10 Mar., 2026

This research evaluated the bio active compositions and efficacy of Tridax procumbens in controlling brown rot of orange fruits, stored at ambient temperature. Orange fruits infected with spore suspensions (6.50×104 cfu/ml) of brown rot pathogen (Lasiodiplodia sp) were dipped separately into varying concentrations (5, 10, 15 and 100 %) of the aqueous extracts where they were assessed daily for disease severity. All the varying concentrations of the extracts were effective against Lasiodiplodia. However, 15 and 100 % extracts proved most effective against the brown rot pathogen, with none of the fruits showing any sign of infection by day 30 in storage when compared with the control fruits that had started showing rottenness since day 10. The number of bioactive compounds detected in the Tridax extract was 21. Consequently, the antifungal efficacy of Tridax procumbens could be attributed to these biochemical constituents. The study has shown the antifungal potential of the understudied weed. Hence, T. procumbens could be explored as natural, safe substitute in fruit preservation.

Bioactive compounds; Disease severity; GC- MS; Lasiodiplodia; Preservatives