Pesticidal and Medicinal Value of Turmeric and Ginger in Tanzania and Their Antifungal Activity against Phytopathogens  

作　　者：Geraldin M. W. Lengai Ernest R. Mbega James W. Muthomi Geraldin M. W. Lengai;Ernest R. Mbega;James W. Muthomi(Department of Sustainable Agriculture and Biodiversity Ecosystem Management, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania;Department of Plant Science and Crop Protection, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya)

机构地区：[1]Department of Sustainable Agriculture and Biodiversity Ecosystem Management, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania [2]Department of Plant Science and Crop Protection, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

出　　处：《Journal of Biosciences and Medicines》2025年第2期287-308,共22页生物科学与医学(英文)

摘　　要：Use of synthetic pesticides to manage crop pests has had a toll on human health, environmental safety and farmer’s income creating a need for alternative crop protection strategies. Botanical pesticides have been reported to be effective in managing crop pests, and a number of them have been formulated and commercialized. This study was conducted in North-Eastern Tanzania to establish the pesticidal and medicinal value of turmeric (Curcuma longa) and ginger (Zingiber officinale). Purposive sampling was adopted to select and interview 167 respondents drawn from farmers, traders, pharmaceutical shops, agro-shop operators and consumers of turmeric and ginger. Ginger and turmeric rhizomes were also collected for extraction, antifungal assay and biochemical analysis. Results showed that majority of the respondents were aware of the medicinal value of ginger and turmeric, with 59.5% having used the plants to treat respiratory related infections and healing skin surface and internal wounds. About 14% of farmers were aware of and had used aqueous botanical preparations from neem, moringa and Tephrosia to manage insect pests. Only 2.7% of farmers had used ginger powder as a protective insecticide on stored grains. Ginger and turmeric rhizome extracts showed high antifungal activity against Pythium (83% - 95%), Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (34% - 52%) and Alternaria solani (38% - 53%). A GC-MS analysis of ginger and turmeric extracts showed presence of α-zingiberene, β-sesquiphellandrene, α-farnesene, ar-curcumene, α-copaene, ar-tumerone and curlone. This study recommends that ginger and turmeric extracts be considered for development of a botanical pesticide and especially for management of damping off diseases.Use of synthetic pesticides to manage crop pests has had a toll on human health, environmental safety and farmer’s income creating a need for alternative crop protection strategies. Botanical pesticides have been reported to be effective in managing crop pests, and a number of them have been formulated and commercialized. This study was conducted in North-Eastern Tanzania to establish the pesticidal and medicinal value of turmeric (Curcuma longa) and ginger (Zingiber officinale). Purposive sampling was adopted to select and interview 167 respondents drawn from farmers, traders, pharmaceutical shops, agro-shop operators and consumers of turmeric and ginger. Ginger and turmeric rhizomes were also collected for extraction, antifungal assay and biochemical analysis. Results showed that majority of the respondents were aware of the medicinal value of ginger and turmeric, with 59.5% having used the plants to treat respiratory related infections and healing skin surface and internal wounds. About 14% of farmers were aware of and had used aqueous botanical preparations from neem, moringa and Tephrosia to manage insect pests. Only 2.7% of farmers had used ginger powder as a protective insecticide on stored grains. Ginger and turmeric rhizome extracts showed high antifungal activity against Pythium (83% - 95%), Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (34% - 52%) and Alternaria solani (38% - 53%). A GC-MS analysis of ginger and turmeric extracts showed presence of α-zingiberene, β-sesquiphellandrene, α-farnesene, ar-curcumene, α-copaene, ar-tumerone and curlone. This study recommends that ginger and turmeric extracts be considered for development of a botanical pesticide and especially for management of damping off diseases.

关 键 词：Botanical Pesticides Curcuma longa Medicinal Plants SPICES Zingiber officinale 

分 类 号：TS9[轻工技术与工程]