Determinación del potencial antifúngico y antioxidante del hidrolato de Thymus vulgaris pretratado con DIC frente a fitopatógenos agrícolas

Abstract

CONDITION FOR PROJECT PUBLICATION. This project evaluates the effect of Instantaneous Controlled Decompression (ICD) pretreatment on the antioxidant capacity and antifungal activity of Thymus vulgaris hydrosol, with the aim of improving the release of bioactive compounds and analyzing its potential agrobiological application. The hypothesis is that DIC pretreatment increases the concentration of phenolic compounds and flavonoids, justifying its use as a sustainable alternative in the control of phytopathogens. Thyme samples were subjected to DIC pretreatments varying pressure and time, followed by hydrodistillation to obtain the hydrolate. Colorimetric methods (TPC, TFC, DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP), HPLC-DAD analysis for the phenolic profile, and in vitro antifungal assays by agar diffusion against Fusarium sp. and Lasiodiplodia theobromae were applied. DIC pretreatment increased antioxidant capacity to values higher than the control, with coefficients of determination R² between 0.753 and 0.845 for the statistical models. Phenolic compounds such as quercetin (3.08 mg/L), kaempferol (1.92 mg/L), and apigenin (2.71 mg/L) were detected by HPLC. In contrast, antifungal activity was limited, with minimal or no inhibition against L. theobromae and low inhibition against Fusarium sp with inhibition percentages ranging from 24.3% to 31.5%, showing a difference compared to the control without DIC (45.4%). It is concluded that DIC pretreatment improves the release of antioxidant compounds but does not significantly enhance the antifungal activity of the hydrolate under the conditions evaluated, highlighting the need to optimize the process or combine it with concentration strategies. Keywords: Metabolites, inhibition, flavonoids, colorimetric, agroindustry.