ANTIFUNGAL EVALUATION OF THE RHIZOME, STEM AND LEAF EXTRACTS OF ANCHOMANES DIFFORMIS (BLUME) ENGL AGAINST POST-HARVEST ROT FUNGI OF ROOT AND TUBERCROPS IN NIGERIA

摘要

Antifungal evaluation of the rhizome, stem and leaf extracts of Anchomanes difformis (Blume) Engl on post-harvest rot fungi of root and tuber crops in Nigeria at different concentrations were investigated. The rot fungi screened were Botryodiplodia theobromae Pat; Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc; Fusarium solani (Mart) Sacc; Rhizopus stolonifer (Ehren ex.Fr.) Lind, Aspergillus niger van Tiegh and Penicillium oxalicum Currie and Thiam. Results showed that all the extracts at different concentrations of 100 mg/mL, 80 mg/mL, 60 mg/mL, 40 mg/ mL and 20 mg/mL inhibited mycelial growth of the test fungi. Growth inhibition of these root and tuber rot fungi increased with increasing concentrations of each extract. The extracts of rhizome showed more inhibitory potency followed by the leaf extracts on all the six test fungi than the stem extracts. The significance of these results on the storage of root and rubers crops was discussed.