Abstract

ASSESSMENT OF ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF VERNONIA ANTHELMINTICA SOLVENT EXTRACTS AGAINST ASPERGILLUS FLAVUS

Smrutirekha Sahoo, Pragnya Priyadarshini and Sunita Bhatnagar*

Abstract

Leaf solvent extracts of Vernonia anthelmintica were explored for antifungal activity against soil pathogen Aspergillus flavus. Four solvent extracts were prepared using cold maceration method; these were hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol. Antifungal activity was assessed using radical growth method, agar well diffusion, biomass reduction and aflatoxin content inhibition by the extracts. Ethyl acetate extract showed good activity in radical growth method at a higher dose of 2000microgram/ml on day 2 but gradually with time activity decreased. Ethyl acetate extract was also able to reduce the aflatoxin content by 40% when compared with the control samples.

Keywords: Vernonia anthelmintica, Antifungal, Aspergillus flavus, radical growth, biomass reduction.