Control of the Potato Virus X Through Application of Root Extracts of Chlorophytum nepalense to Potato Plants and Tubers

The perennial herb Chlorophytum nepalense (Lindley) Baker, widely distributed throughout the northern parts of Tripura State of India, is used traditionally by Tripuri farmers as a root extract to control dark viral necrotic lesions of sprouted potato tubers and plants. The root extracts strongly reduced infection of potato plants and sprouted tubers by Potato virus X under glasshouse conditions. The root extract was found to contain the three plant-viricidal compounds chlorogenic acid, kaempferol-3-O-(3′,6′di-O-E-p-coumaroyl)-β-d-glucopyranoside, and luteolin and suggests that the isolated compounds may have the potential to be used as natural plant-viricidal compounds.