ArticleBMC microbiology2026
Antifungal efficacy of linoleic-acid-rich Cucurbita pepo L. seed oil revealed by GC-MS profiling of lipids and bioactive markers, ergosterol depletion, and network pharmacology.
Article in BMC microbiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundThe development of multi-target, sustainable botanical alternatives is required due to the increasing resistance of phytopathogens to synthetic fungicides. The antifungal effectiveness of Cucurbita pepo L. seed oil (PSO) against a panel of six economically significant phytopathogens is assessed in this study.
resultsThe PSO was characterized by quantitative GC-MS profiling as a complex matrix dominated by oleic acid (36.52%) and linoleic acid (43.18%), along with diverse bioactive markers such as oxygenated terpenoids and phytosterols. High broad-spectrum activity was shown in vitro, with 100% inhibition of Botrytis fabae and 88.9% inhibition of Fusarium oxysporum at 10 mg·mL⁻¹. Quantitative HPLC analysis confirmed that PSO acts as a sterol-disrupting agent, causing near-complete loss of membrane ergosterol in B. fabae (100% loss) and F. oxysporum (95.2% loss). Furthermore, network pharmacology and molecular docking suggest that the bioactive matrix exerts its effects by destabilizing the fungal cell envelope, with computational models predicting putative interactions with lanosterol 14-alpha-demethylase (CYP51A) and β-1,3-glucan synthase (FKS1).
conclusionThe results position the PSO bioactive matrix as a potent in vitro antifungal agent that targets pathogens directly through membrane destabilization and putative multi-site enzymatic interference. However, detached leaf assays indicate that its future practical application will require formulation strategies, such as nano-emulsions, to mitigate the mild phytotoxicity associated with direct foliar application of the crude oil at fungicidal doses.
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