Polyherbal nanoformulation: a potent antifungal agent on fungal pathogens of Coffea arabica

Agriculture is the backbone of all countries which dictates the major economy of the country. The management of pathogens is critical in the field of agriculture. Many species of pathogenic fungi infect a broad range of hosts including cash crops and agricultural crops. Coffee is one of the most important commercial crop in the economy of many countries in the world. Coffea arabica is infected by several fungal species and results in decrease in the quality and quantity of coffee berries. Infection of fungi in plants not only kills the plants and fruit yield but also affect human being through toxin intoxication. Chemical fungicides are the primary choice for the control of plant pathogenic fungi. However, these chemicals pollute the environment, disturb the normal flora, fauna and aquatic environment. The intake of fungicides through inhalation or ingestion results in serious health consequences including immunological, endocrinal, neurological, gynaecological, and carcinogenic effects. Hence, it is a challenge to find a novel alternative green solution to control both pathogenic fungi and to detoxify the fungal toxins. Green nanotechnology can be adopted to develop eco-friendly nanoformulation to control fungal pathogens. In this study, fungal pathogens were isolated from infected coffee plants and identified through sequencing. The novelty of the study stands on uniqueness of Polyherbal nanoformulation which was synthesized by using Triphala. Antifungal studies were carried out by using a developed Polyherbal nanoformulation. From the results, fungal pathogens were identified as Cladorrhinum flexuosum, Rigidoporus vinctus, Mucor circinelloides, Mucor lusitanicus, and Nigrospora oryzae. On treating these fungal pathogens with PHNF, the radial growth of fungal strains was effectively controlled even at lower concentration of 3.125 µg/ml. The specific contribution of PHNF is 'synergism' which plays a significant role in controlling the growth of tested fungal pathogens. On further exploration of PHNF in field conditions will help to optimize the dosage for the commercial development of nano based fungicide for the benefit of farmers as well as a solution to global problem. In addition, these PHNF can be formulated to nanosprays and nanomaterials to control the fungal growth during post-harvest condition.