Evaluation of Fungitoxic Potency of Piper Betel L. (mysore Variety) Leaf Extracts against Eleven Phyto- Pathogenic Fungal Strains

Among plant microbial pathogens like bacteria, fungi, viruses etc., fungi are the most important and prevalent pathogens, infecting a wide range of host plants and are responsible to cause economical losses of crops in field and harvests during storage and transportation. Regulation of fungal pathogens with chemicals, under field condition is not only carcinogenic and hazardous to health but also causes serious environmental pollution due to their non-degradable nature. In addition, their indiscriminate usage has resulted into an induced resistance among the pathogens. Thus the quest to find the effective, bio-safe and bio-degradable alternative fungicide is the major concern. Different genera plants produce a wide range of Plant Secondary Metabolites (PSMs) or Phytochemicals. Apart from routine uses, huge number of plants are not been fully explored for their bioactive properties of secondary metabolites, essential oils and volatile fractions. Thus, PSMs which have defensive role may be exploited for the management of plant diseases. Piper betel L is a medicinally important plant and well studied for antimicrobial activity but poorly explored to screen antifungal potency against various plant disease causing fungal strains. In the present study, efforts made to test the antifungal potency of Piper betel L leaf extracts prepared in various polarity solvents water, methanol, chloroform and petroleum ether using Paper disc diffusion assay.