Comparative Study of the Antifungal Activity of Essential Oils from Aromatic Plants Growing Wild in the Central Region of Argentina

The essential oils of Salvia gilliessi Benth., Satureja parvifolia (Phil.) Epl., Lippia polystachya Gris. and Lippia junelliana (Mold.) Tronc. which were produced from plants collected in the central region of Argentina, were analysed by GC. The oil of S. gilliessi was found to be rich in hydrocarbons (>68%). The most abundant compounds in S. parvifolia oil were alcohols and oxides (>77%), while the oils of the L. polystachya and L. junelliana contained ketones (>56%) as major components. The effect of S. gilliessi, S. parvifolia, L. polystachya and L. junelliana oils on spore germination and mycelial growth of three phytopathogenic fungi Alternaria solani (Ell. et Mart.), Sclerotium cepivorum Berk. and Colletotrichum coccodes (Wallr.) Hughes were studied. The essential oils exhibited mycelial inhibition at. a concentration of 1%. The three fungi were identical in their sensitivity towards the four oils.