Abstract
The aim of our research is the screening of extracts of marine sponges for their antifungal activity against phytopathogenic fungi. The in vitro screening of hydroalcoholic and organic extracts of ten marine sponges from Atlantic coast of Morocco against five phytopathogenic fungi (Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. melonis, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. radicis-lycopersici, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris, Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium digitatum) showed that only two sponges (Haliclona viscosa and Cynachirella tarentina) are active against all phytopathogenic fungi studied.
Highlights
Agriculture in Morocco is an important economic sector, with 40% of the population living on its revenues
Chemical pesticides sprayed into the air or discharged into the soil can be harmful to the environment and to humans as well
We report the antifungal activity of ethanol and dichloromethane extracts of ten marine sponges collected from Coastal Atlantic of El Jadida (Morocco) to select the most active species, which could be utilized to purify antifungal compounds
Summary
Agriculture in Morocco is an important economic sector, with 40% of the population living on its revenues. The agricultural area is estimated to be 9.5 million hectares. Fungi are the main responsible agents for losses in agriculture and horticulture and can infect any part of the plant (Messiaen et al 1991). The fight against these fungi is based on the use of chemical pesticides. Chemical pesticides sprayed into the air or discharged into the soil can be harmful to the environment and to humans as well. One of the main factors contributing to this trend is related to modern technology, and ocean biodiversity has become more accessible (Battershill et al 2005)
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