MYCOPATH, Vol 13, No 2 (2015)

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Exploiting antifungal potential of ginger for the management of Alternaria alternata, the cause of leaf spot disease of spinach

*Humaira Rizwana

Abstract


Present study was conducted to explore the antifungal activity of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe), a medicinal plant of family Zingiberaceae, for the management of Alternaria alternata, the cause of leaf spot disease of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.). Dry powder of ginger was extracted in ethanol and tested for antifungal activity at 0.5%, 1.5%,  ..., 5.5% concentrations in vitro. Poisoned food technique and spore germination assay were used to evaluate the antifungal efficacy of extracts of ethanolic. All the concentrations  showed inhibitory effect on the growth of test pathogen. The highest concentration (5.5%) had 90.4% inhibition on mycelia growth. Spore germination was completely inhibited at both 4.5% and 5.5% concentrations. Ethanolic extract was further partitioned using petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and water. Antifungal activity of different concentrations (2.5 to 320 mg mL-1) of each of the five fractions of ethanolic extract was investigated against the target fungal pathogen using potato dextrose broth as growth medium. All the concentrations of ethyl acetate fraction significantly reduced the biomass of the target fungal pathogen by 85-100%. Similarly, chloroform fraction was equally effective and suppressed the fungal biomass. In contrast, all the concentrations of n-butanol and aqueous fraction of ethanol extract had negligible inhibitory effect on the fungal growth. 


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