Screening of antifungal activity in native plants from northwestern Argentina

JIMENEZ, C. M.; SAMPIETRO, D.A.; SGARIGLIA, M. A.; SOBERÓN, J. R.; VATTUONE, M.A.

Tafi del Valle

Congreso; XXVII Annual scientific meeting of the Tucuman biology association; 2010

Tucuman biology association

The aim of this work was to evaluate the antifungal activity of native plants from northwestern Argentina. Aerial parts of Zuccagnia punctata, Larrea cuneifolia and L. divaricata. were collected in Tucumán. Plant material was extracted with water (infusion, decoction) and ethanol (tincture). Inhibitory activity of plant extracts was assayed in hyphal growth of Fusarium verticillioides, F. subglutinans, F. thapsinum, F. boothii, F. meridionale, F. graminearum sensu stricto, F. oxysporum and macrophomina phaseolina. Extracts were diluted in agar-malt-peptone-sucrose. Dilutions of 0.1 to 1.6 mg ME/ml were placed in Petri dishes were incubated for 4 days at 30 C. Extracts from Larrea inhibited 100% mycelial growth of F. subglutinans, F. thapsinum, F. boothii, F. meridionale and F. graminearum at 0.8 and 1.6 mg ME/ml. F. verticillioides, M. phaseolina and F. oxysporum were less suceptible to these native plants. At the same concentration and plant species, tinctures inhibited fungal growth more than aqueous extracts. Extracts of Larrea showed a high antifungal activity and a selectivity that was dependent of the phytopathogenic species assayed. Tinctures were the most strongly bioactive. More work is needed to isolate and identify the active principles.