Antifungal Mechanisms of Plant Essential Oils: A Comprehensive Literature Review for Biofungicide Development

Michel Leiva-Mora (), Diana Bustillos, Cristina Arteaga, Kattyta Hidalgo, Deysi Guevara-Freire, Orestes López-Hernández, Luis Rodrigo Saa, Paola S. Padilla and Alberto Bustillos
Additional contact information
Michel Leiva-Mora: Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Técnica de Ambato, Cevallos 1801334, Ecuador
Diana Bustillos: Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Carrera de Nutrición y Dietética, Universidad Técnica de Ambato, Ambato 180207, Ecuador
Cristina Arteaga: Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Carrera de Nutrición y Dietética, Universidad Técnica de Ambato, Ambato 180207, Ecuador
Kattyta Hidalgo: Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Carrera de Nutrición y Dietética, Universidad Técnica de Ambato, Ambato 180207, Ecuador
Deysi Guevara-Freire: Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Técnica de Ambato, Cevallos 1801334, Ecuador
Orestes López-Hernández: Facultad de Ciencia e Ingeniería en Alimentos y Biotecnología, Universidad Técnica de Ambato, Ambato 180207, Ecuador
Luis Rodrigo Saa: Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL), Loja 1101608, Ecuador
Paola S. Padilla: Escuela de Fisioterapia, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, de la Salud y la Vida, Universidad Internacional del Ecuador, Quito 170102, Ecuador
Alberto Bustillos: Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Técnica de Ambato, Cevallos 1801334, Ecuador

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 21, 1-21

Abstract: Plant pathogenic fungi pose a persistent global threat to food security, causing severe yield losses in staple crops and increasing dependence on chemical fungicides. However, the ecological and toxicological drawbacks of synthetic fungicides have intensified the search for safer, plant-derived alternatives. This review synthesizes current advances on the antifungal mechanisms of plant essential oils (EOs) and their prospects for biofungicide development. The literature reveals that the antifungal activity of EOs arises from their diverse phytochemical composition, principally terpenes, phenolics, and aldehydes that target multiple fungal cellular sites. These compounds disrupt membrane integrity through ergosterol depletion, inhibit chitin and β-glucan synthesis, interfere with mitochondrial energy metabolism, and induce oxidative stress, leading to lipid peroxidation and cell death. Morphological and transcriptomic evidence confirms that EOs alter hyphal growth, spore germination, and key gene expression pathways associated with fungal virulence. Furthermore, emerging nanotechnological and encapsulation strategies enhance EO stability, bioavailability, and field persistence, addressing major barriers to their large-scale agricultural application. The integration of EO-based biofungicides within sustainable and precision agriculture frameworks offers a promising route to reduce chemical inputs, mitigate resistance development, and promote ecological balance. This review underscores the need for interdisciplinary research linking phytochemistry, nanotechnology, and agronomy to translate EO-based antifungal mechanisms into next-generation, environmentally compatible crop protection systems.

Keywords: antifungal; activity; sustainable agriculture; membrane integrity; oxidative stress (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/21/2303/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/21/2303/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jagris:v:15:y:2025:i:21:p:2303-:d:1788038

Access Statistics for this article

Agriculture is currently edited by Ms. Leda Xuan

More articles in Agriculture from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().