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Abstract

Lasiodiplodia theobromae is a major fungal pathogen that severely compromises mango fruit quality, leading to rapid postharvest decay and reduced shelf life. Green synthesis offers an eco-friendly and efficient strategy to combat such phytopathogens. This study focuses on a simple, rapid, and cost-effective method for the synthesis of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) and evaluates their antifungal efficacy against L. theobromae. Fungal strain LTTK16-3 identified and its susceptibility to CuNPs were observed. CuNPs were synthesized by using garlic (Allium sativum) with copper sulfate as a precursor. CuNPs underwent characterization via a variety of instrumental methods like UV-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), and Scanning electron microscope (SEM). The functional group of the NPs and presence of various biomolecules was confirmed by the analysis of FTIR while SEM analysis revealed that the particles are rod-like flakes due to the aggregation of smaller particles. The XRD pattern demonstrated the CuNPs falls in the category of 2.9 nm in size while UV–visible spectroscopy revealed a surface plasmon resonance peak of CuNPs was 432nm under optimal synthesis conditions. The antifungal activity of CuNPs was assessed through testing against fungal strain LTTK16-3. At concentrations of 0.5% extract solution, CuNPs exhibited strong effectiveness for the control of L. theobromae fungus of mango phytophthora. The findings of this study support the assertions that CuNPs, are an effective antifungal agent and exhibit significant potential in mitigating fungal infections and proliferation

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