Antifungal Activity of leaf extracts of Nerium indicum against Pathogenic Fungi Aspergillus spp.

Abstract

Medicinal plants represent a rich source of antimycotic agents. Plant extract has been used traditionally to treat a number of infectious diseases. Medicinal plant Nerium indicum belongs to the family Apocynaceae. The leaf extracts of Nerium indicum exhibited significant antifungal activity against pathogenic fungi (A. niger, A. flavus and A. fumigatus).Aspergillus species were isolated from soil samples. The soil samples collected from Ajmer, Rajasthan (India). Antifungal activities of the different leaf extracts were compared with the zones of inhibition produced by the standard antibiotic (Gresiofulvin). The ethanol, aqueous and DMSO extracts of Nerium indicum showed high antifungal activity against Aspergillus species except ethanol extract show lowest activity against A. niger. These results support the leaf extract of Nerium indicum can be used to cure fungal infections in both plant and human beings.