ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Sustainable and Intelligent Phytoprotection
Fengycin–Essential Oil Emulsions as Sustainable Biocontrol Formulations Against Moniliophthora roreri, the Cacao Frosty Pod Rot Pathogen
Provisionally accepted
Mirian Villavicencio-Vásquez1
RODRIGO Espinoza1
Ivan Choéz-Guaranda1Valeria Cos1
Jonathan Coronel-León1,2*- 1ESPOL Polytechnic University, Guayaquil, Ecuador
- 2Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentaries Centre de Monells, Monells, Spain
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Moniliophthora roreri, the causal agent of cacao frosty pod rot (FPR), represents a major constraint to cacao production in tropical regions. The increasing demand for eco-compatible crop protection strategies highlights the need for synergistic bioformulations combining microbial and plant-derived antifungal agents. In this study, we investigated the antifungal performance and physicochemical stability of emulsions formulated with fengycin, a cyclic lipopeptide produced by Bacillus subtilis DS03, and essential oils (EOs) from cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) and peppermint (Mentha piperita). Mass spectrometry confirmed fengycin isoforms (m/z 1435–1491). Fengycin inhibited mycelial growth of M. roreri by 84.6% at 1000 ppm, while cinnamon EO achieved complete inhibition at ≥500 ppm. When combined, fengycin–cinnamon (F–C) emulsions exhibited strong synergistic activity (FIC < 0.5) and high colloidal stability (ζ = –26 to –35 mV), whereas fengycin–peppermint (F–P) emulsions displayed additive interactions (FIC ≈ 1). The enhanced antifungal effect of F–C emulsions is attributed to the dual functionality of fengycin as both an antifungal molecule and a natural biosurfactant that increases the dispersion and bioavailability of cinnamaldehyde-rich EOs. These results establish a stable, bio-based antifungal formulation that integrates microbial and plant metabolites, providing a scalable model for sustainable fungal disease control in cacao and other crops.
Keywords: biological control, Emulsions, essential oils, fengycin, Moniliophthora roreri
Received: 24 Oct 2025; Accepted: 15 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Villavicencio-Vásquez, Espinoza, Choéz-Guaranda, Cos and Coronel-León. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Jonathan Coronel-León
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