Antifungal Activity of Verbenaceae

Rogimon P. Thomas^1*, Manuel Thomas², Joby Paul¹ and Mahesh Mohan¹

1School of Environmental Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam - 686 560, India. *Department of Botany, CMS College, Kottayam, Kerala - 686 001, India. 2Consortium & Training Academy for Biosciences (CTAB)IInd Floor, Geo Printers Building, Manarcadu P.O., Kottayam - 686 019, India.

DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.13005/bbra/1134

ABSTRACT: Traditional curatives based on herbal medicinal rationales are time tested and widely accepted across various cultural and socioeconomic strata all around the world. The emergence of drug resistant germs makes the circumstances more assailable for emerging pathogens, especially fungi. Thus an attempt to assess the spectrum of antifungal activity among selected Verbenaceae members (P. serratifolia, L. nodiflora, V. trifolia, V. negundo var. negundo, V. negundo var. pubescens, V. altissima, V. leucoxylon, V. pinnata, S. jamaicensis, C. inermis and C. serratum) was conducted against a panel of 8 fungi (Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger, Penicillium sp., Verticillium sp., Curvularia sp., Mucor sp. and Fusarium sp.). All of the tested plants were inhibitory to many of the tested fungi and both of the extracts (petroleum ether and methanolic) showed appreciable antifungal effects, though the phytochemical composition was dissimilar.

KEYWORDS: Verbenaceae; Antifungal; Fungi; Antimicrobial

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