Antifungal Activity against <i>Botryosphaeriaceae</i> Fungi of the Hydro-Methanolic Extract of <i>Silybum marianum</i> Capitula Conjugated with Stevioside

• Main Authors: Natalia Langa-Lomba, Laura Buzón-Durán, Eva Sánchez-Hernández, Pablo Martín-Ramos, José Casanova-Gascón, Jesús Martín-Gil, Vicente González-García
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-07-01
• Series: Plants
• Subjects: coniferyl alcohol; ferulic acid; grapevine trunk diseases; milk thistle; stevioside
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/7/1363

<i>Silybum marianum</i> (L.) Gaertn, viz. milk thistle, has been the focus of research efforts in the past few years, albeit almost exclusively restricted to the medicinal properties of its fruits (achenes). Given that other milk thistle plant organs and tissues have been scarcely investigated for the presence of bioactive compounds, in this study, we present a phytochemical analysis of the extracts of <i>S. marianum</i> capitula during the flowering phenological stage (stage 67). Gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy results evidenced the presence of high contents of coniferyl alcohol (47.4%), and secondarily of ferulic acid ester, opening a new valorization strategy of this plant based on the former high-added-value component. Moreover, the application of the hydro-methanolic extracts as an antifungal agent has been also explored. Specifically, their activity against three fungal species responsible for the so-called <i>Botryosphaeria</i> dieback of grapevine (<i>Neofusicoccum parvum</i>, <i>Dothiorella viticola</i> and <i>Diplodia seriata</i>) has been assayed both in vitro and in vivo. From the mycelial growth inhibition assays, the best results (EC₉₀ values of 303, 366, and 355 μg·mL⁻¹ for <i>N. parvum</i>, <i>D. viticola</i>, and <i>D. seriata</i>, respectively) were not obtained for the hydroalcoholic extract alone, but after its conjugation with stevioside, which resulted in a strong synergistic behavior. Greenhouse experiments confirmed the efficacy of the conjugated complexes, pointing to the potential of the combination of milk thistle extracts with stevioside as a promising plant protection product in organic Viticulture.