Chemical composition and anti-<i>Xanthomonas citri</i> activities of essential oils from <i>Schinus molle</i> L. fresh and dry leaves and of its major constituent spathulenol

<p>Citrus canker, which is caused by <i>Xanthomonas citri</i>, is a severe disease that affects citrus plants worldwide. This paper aimed to compare, for the first time, the chemical composition and anti-<i>Xanthomonas citri</i> activities of essential oils from <i>Schinus molle</i> fresh and dry leaves (EO-FL and EO-DL, respectively). Anti-<i>X. citri</i> activity of spathulenol, the major constituent of oils, was also evaluated. Activities were screened by the broth microdilution method on 96‐well culture plates. Three major constituents were identified in EO-FL and EO-DL by GC-MS and GC-FID: spathulenol, β-caryophyllene and caryophyllene oxide. EO-DL (MIC = 31.25 µg/mL), EO-FL (MIC = 62.5 µg/mL) and spathulenol (MIC = 100 µg/mL) were active against <i>X. citri</i> strains (resistant, tolerant and sensitive to copper). Even though results showed that <i>in vitro</i> potential of EO-FL, EO-DL and spathulenol against <i>X. citri</i>, further <i>in vivo</i> studies are needed to prove their applicability to the biocontrol of citrus canker.</p>