Antifungal activity

Keratinophilic fungi are ecologically important fungi which degrade keratinous waste materials into simpler forms. Some of keratinophilic fungi are pathogenic for humans and animals and cause skin diseases. The aim of present study is to study the antifungal activity of leaves stem and flower extracts of Argemone mexicana against some isolated keratinophilic fungi viz. Chaetomium seminis-citrulli, Penicillium guttulosum, Aphanoascus terreus, Aphanoascus durus and Chrysosporium zonatum. The plant extracts were prepared with Soxhlet extraction in 80 percent methanol and further with diethyl ether using separating funnel. The antifungal activity of plant extracts was analysed by agar disc diffusion method on Sabouraud’s Dextrose Agar (SDA) medium. Ketoconazole was used as the reference antifungal disc. The results were analysed in diameter of zone of inhibition. The result of present study indicated that Argemone mexicana have significant antifungal activity against all tested fungi. The bound flavonoid extract of Argemone mexicana recorded highest antifungal activity against keratinophilic fungi. Aphanoascus durus found to be the most susceptible fungal isolate among the tested fungi. The herbal antifungal discs in this study, were found more effective antifungal agents than reference antifungal drug.

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of different fractions of aqueous, ethanolic and methanolic extracts of certain bryophytes such as Plagiochasma appendiculatum (Liverwort) Anthoceros longii (Hornwort), Fissidens bryoides and Entodon prorepens (Mosses) against phytopathogenic fungi Alternaria solani, Curvularia lunata and Fusarium moniliforme using poisoned food technique. The results revealed that the radial growth in form of colony diameter, fresh weight of test fungi drastically reduced in response to all concentrations ranged from 10 to 100 per cent especially in the plant material extracted with methanol showed strong antifungal activity with significance inhibition on percent inhibition and fungal hyphal length of all test fungi. Among plants P.appendiculatum extract showed potent antifungal activity followed by A. longii, F. bryoides and E. prorepens. Fungus F. moniliforme exhibited most sensitivity in methanolic extract of P. appendiculatum followed by C. lunata and A. solani. Findings of this study confirmed that all four bryophytes have some potent bioactive phytochemicals which showed antifungal activity resulting in the suppression of fungal growth therefore, after further analysis of extracts and confirmation of phytochemicals, extracts of these, plants can be used as natural and ecofriendly fungicides to control phytopathogenic fungi to reduce the pressure of use of synthetic fungicides.

Hamelia patens plant antimicrobial activity with various successive extracts of leaf is screening. Crude extracts of methanol, Ethyl acetate, Benzene and Hexane of leaf is evaluated for antimicrobial activity by the disc diffusion method. The term of medicinal, plants comprise a variety of types of plants used in herbarium and several plants have medicinal activities. The plant was selected for screening of antimicrobial efficacy against seven selected bacterial strains viz. A.niger (MTCC- 4325), A.flavus (MTCC- 3518), A. terreus (MTCC- 4287), Penicillium chrysogenum (MTCC- 2539), Penicillium notatum (MTCC- 6477). Pet ether leaf extract (75mg/disc) posses maximum efficacy against The antifungal activity maximum against Aspergillus flavus (Inhibition zone = 13mm, Activity index=0.81) and Aspergillus terreus (Inhibition zone = 10mm, Activity index=0.58).The results of this study show maximum efficacy against various fungal strains, these compounds represent the novel leads and the future studies and analysis may allow the development of a pharmacologically acceptable pure compounds or a class of antifungal agents. Therefore, the extract can also be used for isolation of volatiles compounds with potentials so that the extract / active fraction / pure compounds can be used as antibiotics in future therapeutics.