Antifungal Activity of Roselle Decoction Residue Extract Against Pestalotiopsis sp.: Valorization of Agro-Industrial Waste

Nur Amirah Yusoff; Fauziah Tufail Ahmad; Aidilla  Mubarak; Razifah Mohd Razali; Husni Hayati  Mohd Rafdi

doi:10.55230/mabjournal.v55i1.3552

Authors

Nur Amirah Yusoff Faculty of Food Science and Agrotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
Fauziah Tufail Ahmad Faculty of Food Science and Agrotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia; Research Program of Postharvest Research and Innovation, Food Security Research Cluster, Universiti Malaysia
Aidilla Mubarak Faculty of Food Science and Agrotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia; Research Program of Postharvest Research and Innovation, Food Security Research Cluster, Universiti Malaysia
Razifah Mohd Razali Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
Husni Hayati Mohd Rafdi
husni@umt.edu.my
Faculty of Food Science and Agrotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia; Research Program of Postharvest Research and Innovation, Food Security Research Cluster, Universiti Malaysia

Keywords:

Antifungal activity, decoction residues, Pestalotiopsis sp., postharvest disease management, roselle, waste valorization

Abstract

This study investigates the antifungal activity of crude ethanolic extracts derived from roselle decoction residues, generated during calyx cordial and juice processing, against Pestalotiopsis sp., a postharvest fungal pathogen associated with fruit rot in wax apples. Valorizing this agro-industrial by-product presents an opportunity to develop sustainable antifungal agents. The experiment evaluated the efficacy of extracts prepared from both fresh and freeze-dried residues, namely roselle calyx (RC), decocted cordial residue (DCR), and decocted juice residue (DJR), at eight different concentrations (10 to 100,000 mg/L) using in vitro and in vivo assays. In vitro results revealed that freeze-dried samples exhibited significantly higher antifungal activity than fresh samples, with complete inhibition observed at lower concentrations (30,000 mg/L) for freeze-dried RC and DCR. DJR showed the lowest efficacy among all calyx sources. In vivo evaluation confirmed that coating wax apples with the most effective extracts reduced disease severity index (DSI) compared to both untreated and chitosan-treated controls. Notably, freeze-dried RC resulted in the lowest DSI, indicating strong protection against fungal infection. The antifungal effects were found to be dose-dependent and involved both fungistatic and fungicidal mechanisms. The superior efficacy of freeze-dried samples is attributed to the better retention of bioactive compounds such as anthocyanins and phenolics, which may disrupt fungal cell integrity and activate plant defense responses. This study supports the use of roselle decoction residues as a low-cost, eco-friendly alternative to synthetic fungicides, aligning with sustainable postharvest disease management strategies.

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