Screening of antifungal activity in native plants from northwest argentina

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

Tafí del Valle - Tucumán

Congreso; XXVII Annual Scientific Meeting of Tucuman Biology Society; 2010

The aim of this work was to evaluate the antifungal activity of native plants from northwest Argentina. Aerial parts of Zuccagnia punctata, Larrea divaricata and L. cuneifolia were collected in Tucumán. Plant material was extracted with water (infusion, decoction) and ethanol (tincture). Inhibitory activity of plant extracts was assayed on hyphal growth of Fusarium verticillioides, F. subglutinans, F. thapsinum, F. bothii, F. meridionale, F. graminearum sensu stricto, F. oxysporum and Macrophomina phaseolina. Extracts were diluted in agar-malte-peptone-sucrose. Dilutions of 0.1 to 1.6 mg ME/ml were placed on Petri dishes that were inoculated with the pathogens. Then, Petri dishes were incubated 4 days at 30°C. Extracts from Larrea inhibited 100% mycelial growth of F. subglutinans, F. thapsinum, F. bothii, 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 bioactive. More work is needed to isolate and identify the active principles.