Efficacy of Some Plant Extracts Against Postharvest Fruit Rot Pathogens

Fruit rot is a very common and destructive disease that causes serious economic loss in production of mainly fruits and vegetables. Ecofriendly, plant extracts have shown great potential as an alternative to synthetic fungicides. Plant produce wide range of secondary metabolites.In the present study, preliminary antifungal activity of A. indica, L. camara, D. stramonium, O. sanctum was tested against postharvest fungal pathogens of Papaya, Lemon and Sapota. Aqueous, ethanolic, methanolic and Acetone Extracts were prepared to test the antifungal activity in the concentration of 20%, 40%,60%,80% and 100%. The investigation showed that methanolic plant extracts gives better results as compare to other solvent extracts. And the rate of mycelial growth decreases as the rate of concentration increases.

Postharvest pathogens, Plant extracts, Antifungal activity

1. Hammer KA, Carson CF, Riley TV. Antimicrobial activity of essential oils and other plant extracts. J.Appl.Microbiol.1999; 86(6); 985. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Cowan, M.M.(1991). Plant products as antimicrobial agent. Clinical Microbiology Reviews 12:564-582 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Hasan, M.M., Choudhary, S.P. Alam, S. Houssain, B. and Alam, M. S.(2005). Antifungal effect of plant extracts on seed borne fungi of wheat seeds regarding seed germination, Seedling health and vigour index. Pakistan journal Biological Science8(9);1284-1289. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Agrios, G.N.(2005). Plant Pathology. Academic Press, New York.922pp. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Alexopolus, C.J., Mims,C.W. and Blackwall, M.(2002).(2002). Introduction Mycology(4th edition). John Wiley and Sons Inc.Singapore,869 pp. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Amadioha, A.C. and Obi, V.I.(1999). Control of anthracnose disease of Cowpea by Cymbapogon citratus and Ocimum gratissimum. Acta phytopathology Entomology Hungerica 34(2): 85-89. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Bdiya, B.S. and Akali, G.(2008). Efficacy of some plant extracts in the management of Cercospora leaf spot of groundnut in the Sudan Savanna of Nigeria. Journal of Phytopathology plant Protection 32(2):154-163. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Chiejina, N.V. and Ukeh, J.A.(2013). Efficacy of extracts on fungal pathogens of tomato fruits. Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences 4(6); 13-16. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Conventry, E. and Allen, E.J.(2001). Microbiological and chemical analysis of neem(Azadirachta indica) extracts. New data on antimicrobial activity. Phytoparasitica 29: 441-450. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Das K., Tiwari,R.K. S and Shrivastava, D.K.(2010). Techniques for evaluation of medicinal plant products as microbial agents. Current methods and further trends Journal of Medicinal Plant Research 4: 104-111. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Ellis, D., Davis, S., Alexious, H., Handke, R. and Bartley, R.(2007). Description of Medical Fungi(2nd ed). Mycology Unit Womens Hospital North Adelaid, Australia. 198pp. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Kumar, A.,Shukla, R., Singh, P., Prasad, C.S. and Dubey, N.K.(2008). Assesment of Thymus vulgaris L. essential oil as a safe botanical preservative against postharvest fungi infestation of food commodoties. Innovative Food Science and Emergence Technology, 9: 575-580. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Ogebebor, O.N. and Adekunle, A. T.(2005). Inhibition of conidial germination of mycelial growth of Corynespora assiicola (Berk and Curt) of rubber(Haevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.) using extracts of some plants. African journal of Biotechnology.4(9):996-1000 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Okigbo, R.N. and Ogbonnaya, U, O.(2006). Antifungal effects of two tropical plant leaf extracts( Ocimum gratissimum and Aframomum molegaeta) on postharvest Yam (Dioscorea spp.rot). African Journal of Biotechnology 5(9): 727-731 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Olufolaji, D.B.(1999). Control of wet rot diseases of Amaranthus spp. Caused by Chonehora cucurbitaricum with extracts of A.indica Jr. Of Sustainable Agriculture and environment 1(22): 183-190. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Onifade, A.K. (2002). Antifungal effect of Azadirachta indica A Juss extracts on Colletotrichum lindemathianum. Global Journal of Applied Sciences 6(3): 423-428. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]