Abstract

Soil conservation is a critical aspect of sustainable agriculture. Damage to the physical, chemical, and biological structures of the soil decreases its fertility and disrupts native microbiota, leading to reduced nutrient availability, disruption of biological cycles (nitrogen and carbon), and a lack of protection against infections caused by fungal and bacterial pathogens. Therefore, the development of natural-origin fertilizers that are compatible with the soil microbiota and provide protective effects is essential. This work aimed to review the antifungal and antibacterial mechanisms of curcumin, a lipophilic bioactive compound of the Curcuma longa (turmeric) plant, and its potential application as a natural antimicrobial agent in agriculture. In general, the background information collected suggests that cell membrane weakening could allow the release of cellular material from microbial agents, through cell membrane rupture due to the inhibition of ergosterol synthesis, a key compound that allows maintaining the structure, fluidity, and permeability of the cell membrane. The review demonstrated that curcumin could have a potential practical application in agriculture due to its antifungal and antibacterial properties, with a more pronounced effect against fungi. This is attributed to the ability of curcumin to disrupts the fungal cell membrane and indirectly affect the proteins associated with it. Overall, this work highlights the promise of curcumin as a green alternative to conventional agrochemicals, while emphasizing the need for further research to develop and expand its agricultural applications. © All content of the Chilean Journal of Agricultural Sciences is published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, and can be used free of charge, giving credit to the journal's authors, as established in the license.