In this study, we investigated fungi associated with leaf spots of corn in northern Algeria. Fungal isolates were recovered from sampled leaves and were subjected to morphological and molecular identification. Morphology and multi-locus phylogeny, including the internal transcribed spacers 1 and 2 with 5.8S (ITS) along with partial glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and translation elongation factor 1-α (TEF1) genes, supported the proposal of two new species, Curvularia algeriensis and Curvularia boudouaouensis, as well as a new record for Curvularia spicifera. These two new species are closely related and clustered sisters to Curvularia sporobolicola in the phylogenetic analysis. Morphologically, they can be distinguished by the shape and size of their conidia and conidiophores. The conidia of C. algeriensis are asymmetrically ellipsoidal, with the basal side larger than the apical side. In contrast, those of C. boudouaouensis are ellipsoidal to subcylindrical, and in C. sporobolicola, they are hemi-ellipsoidal. Additionally, the conidia of C. algeriensis are distinctly longer and larger than those of C. boudouaouensis and tend to be slightly longer and narrower than those of C. sporobolicola. C. algeriensis can also be distinguished by its longer conidiophores compared to its closest relatives. Inoculation of corn seedlings supported the pathogenicity of the two new species, as well as the new record.

This study aimed to investigate bioactive poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) films incorporating three chemically distinct naturally phenolic additives—aronia extract (A), apple peel extract (AP), and rutin (R)—as individual functional modifiers for active packaging applications. Here, we studied how the chemical nature of these phenolic compounds influenced the physicochemical characteristics, structure, release behavior, and functional properties of the PVA matrix. The FTIR, SEM, AFM and XPS analyses revealed intermolecular interactions between the hydroxyl groups from the PVA matrix and the hydroxyl and carboxyl groups from phenolic compounds, a high degree of miscibility between them, as well as uniform dispersion of polyphenols in the PVA matrix. XRD analysis indicated the ability of phenolic compounds to change the PVA film’s crystallinity. The films showed very low permeability to castor oil and the UV-Vis light barrier property of the film modified with aronia extract was 47% higher as compared to the reference film. The phenolic compounds improved the antioxidant activity of the reference film by about 90% and inhibited the growth of Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus. The modified films proved their functionality by keeping the quality of the butter packed for 43 days, demonstrating their potential as active packaging materials.