Chemical composition and in vitro antifungal activity of essential oils from Lippia alba and Lippia turbinata

Fungal diseases are one of the most critical causes of postharvest losses in agricultural production, demanding safer and more sustainable control strategies. This study evaluated the chemical composition and in vitro antifungal activity of essential oils (EOs) from Lippia alba and Lippia turbinata against Botrytis cinerea, Monilinia fructicola, Rhizopus stolonifer, Colletotrichum nymphaeae, Fusarium hainanense, and Penicillium digitatum. The volatile method was applied using a concentration of 1000 ppm, with carbendazim as the chemical control. The EO of L. alba completely inhibited the growth of all fungi except P. digitatum (47.6 ± 1.4 %), while L. turbinata showed 100% inhibition for all tested species, without significant differences compared to the fungicide (p>0.05). Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis revealed β-linalool (26.72%) and trans-dihydrocarvone (16.29 %) as major components in L. alba, and (−)-carvone (58.23 %) and D-limonene (27.72 %) in L. turbinata. The strong inhibitory activity and distinct chemical profiles suggest the potential of both species as sources of natural biofungicides for postharvest disease management.