Study on the inhibitory activity and mechanism of Mentha haplocalyx essential oil nanoemulsion against Fusarium oxysporum growth

Abstract Mentha haplocalyx essential oil (MEO) has demonstrated inhibitory effects on Fusarium oxysporum . Despite its environmentally friendly properties as a natural product, the limited water solubility of MEO restricts its practical application in the field. The use of nanoemulsion can improve bioavailability and provide an eco-friendly approach to prevent and control Panax notoginseng root rot. In this study, Tween 80 and anhydrous ethanol (at a mass ratio of 3) were selected as carriers, and the ultrasonic method was utilized to produce a nanoemulsion of MEO (MNEO) with an average particle size of 26.07 nm. Compared to MTEO (MEO dissolved in an aqueous solution of 2% DMSO and 0.1% Tween 80), MNEO exhibited superior inhibition against F. oxysporum in terms of spore germination and hyphal growth. Transcriptomics and metabolomics results revealed that after MNEO treatment, the expression levels of certain genes related to glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, starch and sucrose metabolism were significantly suppressed along with the accumulation of metabolites, leading to energy metabolism disorder and growth stagnation in F. oxysporum . In contrast, the inhibitory effect from MTEO treatment was less pronounced. Furthermore, MNEO also demonstrated inhibition on meiosis, ribosome function, and ribosome biogenesis in F. oxysporum growth process. These findings suggest that MNEO possesses enhanced stability and antifungal activity, which effectively hinders F. oxysporum through inducing energy metabolism disorder, meiotic stagnation, as well as ribosome dysfunction, thus indicating its potential for development as a green pesticide for prevention and control P. notoginseng root rot caused by F.oxyosporum .