Anti-fungal activity of plant products against Aspergillus parasiticus: An exploration in vitro

The present investigation was designed to evaluate the anti-fungal potential of commonly available plant products against Aspergillus parasiticus, an aflatoxin producing fungi. Plant products (63) were selected for the study. The test fungal species was grown in medium with and without the plant products and the growth was monitored up to 5 days of incubation. The results showed that maximum antifungal activity was demonstrated by oil of Syzygium aromaticum followed by Cymbopogan citratus. Curcuma longa and Piper nigrum produced tiny colonies without spores. The pulp of Zingiber officinale, Capsicum frutescens, leaves of Azadirachta indica, Cyanodon dactylon, Citrus limonum, Ocimum sanctum, seeds of Terminalia chebula and Myristica fragrans inhibited A. parasiticus growth by 7-20%. The study indicated the efficiency of specific plant products to inhibit the growth of the aflatoxin producing Aspergillus fungi. To fully exploit products for the benefit of animal performance, active ingredients and their modes of action need to be understood.