PHYTOCHEMICAL SURVEY AND ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF PLANT EXTRACTS IN ANGICO SEEDS (ANADENANTHERA COLUBRINA VELL. BRENAN)

Abstract

Plant extracts with antimicrobial properties are an ecological alternative to fungicides, and preliminary investigation of their chemical components provides information on their properties. The present study determined the phytochemical profiles of plant extracts from Momordica charantia , Caesalpinia ferrea and Anadenanthera colubrina and evaluated the effect of these extracts on microorganisms and on the physiology of A. colubrina seeds. Extracts were obtained by cold extraction. The phytochemical characteristics of the studied species were investigated by determining the presence of alkaloids, steroids, tannins, flavonoids and saponins. Major secondary metabolites were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Seed health and germination tests were performed using plant extract concentrations of 500, 1000 and 1500 ppm, chemical treatments and a control. For the health test, 200 seeds per treatment were immersed in 20 mL of extract at the tested concentrations for five minutes. For the germination test, 200 seeds were germinated at 27 °C. A completely randomized design was used. A chemical survey of the extracts indicated the presence of alkaloids, steroids, tannins, flavonoids and saponins, as well as the absence of steroids in the M. charantia and A. colubrina extracts and of saponins in the C. ferrea extracts. All extracts and concentrations efficiently reduced Periconia sp., Fusarium sp. and Macrophomina sp. C. ferrea and A. colubrina extracts efficiently reduced Botrytis sp., Alternaria sp. and Rhizoctonia sp. at all concentrations. C. ferrea extract at 1000 and 1500 ppm and A. colubrina extract at all concentrations reduced Colletotrichum sp. A. colubrina extract negatively affected seed germination.