An environmentally-safe method for protecting plants is provided for reducing the use of chemically-synthesized
pesticide. Specifically, an anti-microbial and / or anti-viral composition comprising a
laccase, a
cell of a
laccase-producing
microorganism or a treated product thereof, and one or more kinds of
phenol derivatives each represented by the general formula (I) shown below or a salt of the
phenol derivative is provided. Furthermore, a
plant disease-preventing agent, seed-sterilizing agent, post-harvest agent, and
nutrient solution-sterilizing agent, each containing the composition; and
plant disease-preventing method, seed-sterilizing method, post-harvest-treatment method, and
nutrient solution-sterilizing method in
hydroponics and
solid-medium
hydroponics using each f the agents are provided. (in this formula, each of R1 to R5 independently represents
hydrogen, an
alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms,
alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted
aryl group having 6 to 20 core carbon atoms, carboxyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms,
carbonyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, or
halogen atom, and at least one of R1 to R5 is an alkenyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms; provided that at least one of R1 and R5 is not an
alkoxy group).