Stimulating the plant's defences against fungi

Essential oils and their constituents are recognised for their antimicrobial effects. This study examines the antifungal activity of thyme essential oils from the Aïn Jammela region (Teboursouk) against four pathogens, as well as their ability to stimulate the plant's defence system. The chemical composition of the essential oil extracted by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts of Thymus capitatus was analysed by GC-MS. Carvacrol (81.65 per cent) is the predominant compound in the T. capitatus oil. The antifungal activity, assessed using the fungitoxicity test, was evaluated against a range of fungi, including Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium, Rhizoctonia and the oomycete Pythium. The results demonstrated significant activity, with IC¿¿ values not exceeding 54.45 ppm at the maximum and 11 ppm at the minimum. Furthermore, the in vivo test showed that this oil possesses defence-inducing properties, thereby reducing mycelial colonisation. All the results indicate the potential for using this oil to protect plants against phytopathogenic fungi.