Phytochemical Analysis and In Vitro Evaluation of Antifungal Activity of Five Invasive Plant Species against Macrophomina Phaseolina (Tassi) Goid

In vitro antifungal activity of leaf extract of five invasive plant species were evaluated against the fungal pathogen Macrophomina phaseolina using Microdilution assay and direct bioautographic technique. Plants selected for investigations were Ageratum conyzoides, Antigonon leptopus, Chromolaena odorata, Oxalis corniculata and Passiflora foetida. Methanolic extract of all the plants exhibited good activity with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranged between 0.078- 2.5mg/ml. The leaf extract of Oxalis corniculata had promising antifungal activity with a low MIC value of 0.078mg/ml compared to the other species extracts tested. Total activity was highest in Antigonon leptopus(2304ml/g) followed by Oxalis corniculata(2141ml/g). Bioautography indicated clear zones of inhibition in Antigonon leptopus extract with three active band at Rf value of 0.779, 0.468 and 0.276 in BEA mobile system and fungal growth was inhibited in most of the plants tested.