Tropentag, September 20 - 22, 2023, Berlin "Competing pathways for equitable food systems transformation: trade-offs and synergies"

Effects of Tithonia diversifolia on the growth, secondary metabolites and anticandida activity of Cymbopogon citratus

¹University of Yaoundé 1, Cameroon
²University of Bamenda, Dept. of Biochemistry, Cameroon

Abstract

Tithonia diversifolia is a plant advantice with good content in basic minerals including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and has been experienced as an organic fertiliser in some studies. Cymbopogon citratus is an aromatic and medicinal plant, well known for its medicinal values such as antifungal and antimalarial properties. This study aimed at evaluating the effect of T. diversifolia powder and compost on the growth parameters, total phenolic and flavonoid contents and anticandida activity of C. citratus. The plants were cultivated for 8 months in an experimental farm designed as a split plot into 4 blocks. Each block was treated either with T. diversifolia compost (150 g/plant), powder (40g/plant) or the synthetic fertiliser (NPK 20-10-10; 10g/plant) respectively, followed by sprays with same fertiliser treatment on each block every two weeks after transplantation. The control block received no amendment and was sprayed with water. Plant growth parameters (fresh and dry leaves weight, tillers and plant height) were evaluated at four and eight months after transplantation. The harvested fresh leaves were hydro-distillated for essential oil and the hot aqueous extract. Both extracts were used for the evaluation of the anti-candida activity while the latter was submitted to total flavonoids and phenolic analyses. At 4 and 8 months after transplantation, the synthetic fertiliser and T. diversifolia compost significantly increased plant growth parameters as compared to other treatments. The plants treated with T. diversifolia compost showed higher total phenolic (61.13 ± 5.19 µg GAE/mg), flavonoid (41.17 ± 10.195 µg GAE/mg), and essential oil content as compared to the plants from other fertilisers. The essential oil from C. citratus treated with T. diversifolia compost showed the best inhibitory activity on C. albicans NR-29451. In conclusion, this study showed that T. diversifolia compost was a promising organic fertiliser in optimising the growth, secondary metabolites and anticandida activity of C. citratus.

Keywords: Anticandida bioactivity, Cymbopogon citratus, plant growth parameters, secondary metabolites, Tithonia diversifolia

Contact Address: Joseph Blaise Dongmo Lekagne, University of Yaoundé 1, Ngoa-Ekele 812, Yaoundé, Cameroon, e-mail: blaiselekagneyahoo.fr