Abstract Carvacrol (CVR) is an essential oil and has been reported to exhibit significant inhibitory effects against a wide range of microorganisms. Anthracnose, which is caused by Colletotrichum fructicola is one of the most serious postharvest diseases in pitaya fruit. In this study, we investigate the inhibitory effect of CVR against C. fructicola and elucidate the possible modes of action. The results from our study showed that treatment with CVR could effectively inhibit mycelial growth, spore germination and germ tube elongation of C. fructicola in vitro, significantly reducing the onset and development of anthracnose in red pitaya fruit. Membrane permeability and leakage of cellular components in the hyphae of C. fructicola increased as the concentrations of CVR increased. The results from microscopy indicated that CVR treatment caused abnormalities of hyphal morphology, disruption of cytoplasmic membranes, and disorganization of intracellular organelles. Moreover, CVR treatments induced the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which caused oxidative injury to the cell membrane vialipid peroxidation. The antifungal mechanism of CVR against C. fructicola may be attributed to induced ROS production, increased membrane permeability, abnormalities of ultrastructure, and loss of intracellular contents.

中文翻译：

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香芹酚对果炭疽菌的抑制作用及可能机制

摘要 Carvacrol (CVR) 是一种精油，据报道对多种微生物表现出显着的抑制作用。炭疽病由炭疽病菌引起，是火龙果果实采后最严重的病害之一。在这项研究中，我们调查了 CVR 对 C. fructicola 的抑制作用并阐明了可能的作用方式。我们的研究结果表明，CVR 处理可以有效抑制 C. fructicola 体外的菌丝生长、孢子萌发和胚管伸长，显着减少红火龙果炭疽病的发生和发展。随着 CVR 浓度的增加，C. fructicola 菌丝中细胞成分的膜渗透性和渗漏增加。显微镜检查结果表明，CVR 处理导致菌丝形态异常、细胞质膜破坏和细胞内细胞器解体。此外，CVR 治疗会诱导活性氧 (ROS) 的产生，从而导致细胞膜脂质过氧化的氧化损伤。CVR 对 C. fructicola 的抗真菌机制可能归因于诱导的 ROS 产生、膜通透性增加、超微结构异常和细胞内内容物的丢失。