Phytochemical Analysis and In Vitro Evaluation of Antifungal Activity of Five Invasive Plant Species against Macrophomina Phaseolina (Tassi) Goid

S Rashmi,H G Rajkumar

doi:10.5923/j.plant.20110101.02

Abstract

In vitro antifungal activity of leaf extract of five invasive plant species were evaluated against the fungal pathogen Macrophomina phaseolina using Microdilution assay and direct bioautographic technique. Plants selected for investigations were Ageratum conyzoides, Antigonon leptopus, Chromolaena odorata, Oxalis corniculata and Passiflora foetida. Methanolic extract of all the plants exhibited good activity with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranged between 0.078- 2.5mg/ml. The leaf extract of Oxalis corniculata had promising antifungal activity with a low MIC value of 0.078mg/ml compared to the other species extracts tested. Total activity was highest in Antigonon leptopus(2304ml/g) followed by Oxalis corniculata(2141ml/g). Bioautography indicated clear zones of inhibition in Antigonon leptopus extract with three active band at Rf value of 0.779, 0.468 and 0.276 in BEA mobile system and fungal growth was inhibited in most of the plants tested.

Highlights

An invasive species defined by IUCN (2000) as “Species which becomes established in natural or semi-natural ecosystems or habitat, is an agent of cause, and threatens native biological diversity”[1]
Some plant diseases may wipe out entire plant species
Controlling plant disease may result in better more food of better quality[8]

Summary

Introduction

An invasive species defined by IUCN (2000) as “Species which becomes established in natural or semi-natural ecosystems or habitat, is an agent of cause, and threatens native biological diversity”[1]. In India, a good number of high-value biodiversity sites have been invaded by several invasive alien plants[2].Total 173 species in 117 genera under 44 families were documented as invasive alien plant species, representing 1% of Indian flora[3]. Invasive plants are naturalized plants that produce reproductive offspring, often in very large numbers, at considerable distances from parent plants and have the potential to spread over a considerable area[4].Invasive alien species reduce biodiversity, replace economically important native plant species and decrease the investment in agriculture and silviculture, disrupt prevailing vegetation dynamics, alter nutrient cycling and cause changes in the pattern of plant succession. Plant pathogenic fungi attack most crops in the field and post harvest thereby decreasing production and shelf life of many agricultural crops[8] .The most important method of protecting plants against fungal attack is the use of fungicides

Methods

Results

Conclusion