Screening of some medicinally important plants for their antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum and Aspergillus parasiticus

Considering the tremendous antimicrobial and antifungal potential of medicinally important plants, four important plants used in Indian folklore medicine were chosen to screen their antifungal activity. Leaf extracts of the plants viz. Solanum torvum, Adhatoda vasica, Terminalia chebula and Asparagus racemosus were prepared in organic solvents namely methanol, ethanol and methanol-ethanol (1:1) and were tested against fungal pathogens Fusarium oxysporum and Aspergillus parasiticus by agar well diffusion assay. Irrespective of the extraction solvent used all the plants extracts showed certain degree of antimicrobial activity against Aspergillus parasiticus. Zone of inhibition were obtained against Fusarium oxysporum in case of methanolic and ethanolic extracts only. The plants with highest antifungal activity recorded were Solanum torvum and Adhatoda vasica against Fusarium oxysporum. Similarly Asparagus racemosus and Adhatoda vasica were most effective against Aspergillus parasiticus. Rest of the plant extracts exhibited moderate to minimal antifungal activity.