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Macrophomina phaseolina is a wide host ranged soil-borne fungal plant pathogen. It infects more than 500 host plant species belonging to 100 families. Many important oil-seed and leguminous crops are known to be attacked by this devastating plant pathogen. In the present study, antifungal potential of flowers of a leguminous tree Acacia nilotica subsp. indica, was assessed against this pathogen through bioassays guided fractionation. Initially, methanolic extracts of 1 %-5 % of leaf, flower, root-bark and stem-bark of the plant species under consideration were evaluated for their antifungal potential against the target pathogen. Among these, the best antifungal activity was shown by flower extract. The reduction in growth of the test fungal strain was 27-49 %, 4-40 % and 2-27 % due to flower, root-bark and leaf extracts, respectivey, over control. Flower extract was partitioned using n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol as the solvents. Bioassays guided study of these fractions of methanolic extract of flower revealed that high antifungal potential was shown by n-hexane and chloroform fractions against M. phaseolina causing 26-53 % and 28-50 % decline in fungal biomass, respectively, as compared to that of control. GC-MS analysis of chloroform fraction revealed the presence of 27 compounds in this fraction. Among these cyclopentanol,-1-methyl (10.93 %) was the predominant compound followed by methyl, 4,4-dimethyl butanoate (7.04 %), 1-pentanol (6.80 %), 2-propanol, 1-cyclopropyl (6.11 %), 1H,imidazole-4-5-dihydro-2-methyl (5.93 %), trichloroethane (5.91 %), carbonic acid-ethyl hexyl ester (4.59 %), 1,4-butandiol,2,3-bis(methylene)- (4.54 %) and [S]-3,4-dimethyl pentanol (4.48 %)., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Lushan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Nigella sativa is an extensively utilized herbal medicinal plant. Medicinal utilization of seeds and oil of N. sativa was common among all the ancient medicinal systems. Previously, the vegetative part of the plant was not utilized for pharmaceutical purposes. Therefore, the current study was aimed at determining the potential of the vegetative parts (leaves, branches and stem) of the plant to reduce the pressure on the reproductive part (seeds/oil) and to get a potential alternate source of pharmaceutical materials. The experiment was carried out in split block RCD design. The dried plant was extracted through partitioning method in a series of concentrations ranging from 200-1.562mg/ml in different solvents. Phyto-chemical screening, antibacterial and anti-oxidant assays and GC-MS analysis of the potent extracts were done. The green parts of N. sativa were shown to contain saponins, alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, cardiac glycosides, tannins, and flavonoids, whereas phloba-tannins were absent. Evaluation of anti-aging properties through antioxidant assays yielded significant results in all the assays. Linoleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid and glyceryl linoleate were profiled through GC-MS analysis. Based on these results, it was concluded that the vegetative parts of N. sativa are effective alternatives to the reproductive part/seed for anti-aging and other phytochemicals needed to meet the present day requirements of the pharmaceutical industry.

Background: Mungbean [ Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] is an important pulse crop globally. This imperative crop is severely affected by charcoal rot disease caused by Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid. In the present study, the leaves of Calotropis procera L. were tested for their antifungal potential against M. phaseolina ., Materials and Methods: Various concentrations i.e. 1%, 2.5%, 4%, 5.5% and 7% of methanolic extract of C. procera leaves were prepared and their in vitro bioactivity was examined against the test fungus. Methnolic leaf extract was partitioned using n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol and antifungal activity of each fraction was evaluated. n-Hexane fraction was subjected to GC-MS analysis., Results: The higher concentration of methanolic leaf extract (7%) caused maximum inhibition in the diameter of M. phaseolina i.e. 38%. The n -hexane fraction of methanolic leaf extract was found to be the most effective against M. phaseolina . Seven compounds belonging to classes of chlorocarbon, aromatic hydrocarbon, azocompounds, aromatic carboxylic acids and fatty acids were identified in GC-MS analysis of n-hexane fraction., Conclusion: Antifungal activity of the methanolic leaf extract of C. procera might be due to the presence of the identified compounds in n-hexane fraction of methanolic leaf extract.

Background: Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. is a destructive soil-borne plant pathogen that infects over 500 plant species and causes significant yield losses in many economically important plant species. Synthetic fungicides used to combat the menace also pollute the environment and cause health hazards. In order to search environmental friendly alternatives from natural resources, methanolic extracts of three leguminous tree species namely Acacia nilotica (L.) Willd. ex Delile subsp. indica (Benth.) Brenan, Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC. and Albizia lebbeck (L.) Benth. were evaluated for their antifungal activity against S. rolfsii and A. nilotica subsp. indica exhibited the maximum fungicidal potential., Materials and Methods: Two hundred grams dried leaf material of each of the three test plant species were extracted with methanol for two weeks. After filtration, methanol was evaporated on a rotary evaporator. Malt extract broth was used to make various concentrations of the crude methanolic extracts and their antifungal potential was determined by comparing the fungal biomass in various treatments with control. Chemical composition of methanolic leaf extract of A. nilotica subsp. indica was determined through GC-MS analysis., Results: Methanolic leaf extract of A. nilotica subsp. indica showed the highest fungicidal activity. Fungal biomass was decreased by 17-55% due to various concentrations of this extract over control. Different concentrations of P. juliflora reduced fungal biomass by 3-52%. Fourteen compounds were identified in methanolic extract of A. nilotica subsp. indica . 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid, methyl ester, (Z,Z,Z,)- (16.59%) was the most abundant compound followed by 1-pentanol, 2 methyl-, acetate (14.80%); hexanedioic acid, dimethyl ester (13.10%) and cyclotriaconta- 1, 7, 16, 22-tetraone (10.28%)., Conclusion: This study concludes that methanolic leaf extract of A. nilotica subsp. indica can be used for management of S. rolfsii .

Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. is a pathogen of about 500 plant species. In a laboratory screening bioassay, methanolic extracts of 15 mg mL⁻¹ concentrations of different parts of Coronopus didymus (L.) Sm. (Brassicaceae) namely leaf, stem, inflorescence and root reduced the biomass of S. rolfsii by 67%, 26%, 40% and 58%, respectively. Methanolic root extract was successively fractionated with n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol. All the concentrations (3.125-200 mg mL⁻¹) of ethyl acetate fraction completely inhibited the target fungal growth. Two compounds A and B were separated from this fraction by Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC). TLC fraction A was found highly effective against S. rolfsii with MIC value 15.62 µg mL⁻¹ as compared to MIC value 7.81 µg mL⁻¹ of the commercial fungicide mencozeb. This compound may be used for the synthesis of natural product based fungicide for the control of S. rolfsii.

Antifungal activity of methanolic extracts of leaves of three tree species, namely Azadirachta indica L., Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels. and Melia azedarach L. was evaluated against two strains of Alternaria alternata, isolated from dying-back trees of two Eucalyptus spp., namely Eucalyptus citriodora and Eucalyptus globulus. All the concentrations (1, 2, … , 5% w/v) of the methanolic extracts of the three tree species significantly reduced the fungal biomass. There were reductions in the ranges 82-88%, 88-96% and 83-96% in the biomass of A. alternata strains due to different concentrations of the leaf extracts of S. cumini, A. indica and M. azedarach, respectively. Methanolic extract of M. azedarach was subjected to further fractionation using n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol successively in the order of increasing polarity. Aqueous and n-butanol fractions gave promising results in the significant decrease in fungal biomass. This study concludes that aqueous and n-butanol fractions of methanolic leaf extract of M. azedarach can be used as biofungicides for the management of A. alternata.

Methanolic leaf and fruit extracts of Datura metel were found highly effective in suppressing against Macrophomina phaseolina, the cause of charcoal rot disease. These extracts were further subjected to successive fractionation with n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol. All the concentrations (3.125-200 mg mL⁻¹) of chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions of leaf extract, and n-hexane fraction of fruit extract completely inhibited the target fungal growth. Two compounds A and B from the n-hexane fraction of fruit extract and compound C from n-butanol fraction of leaf extract were obtained by TLC. Compound B exhibited the best antifungal activity with an MIC value of 7.81 µg mL⁻¹ that was at par with that of commercial fungicide mancozeb (80% w/w). This study concludes that M. phaseolina can be effectively controlled by natural antifungal compounds in n-hexane fraction of methanolic fruit extract of D. metel.

This study was designed to evaluate the herbicidal activity of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal against the noxious weed parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus L.). In a laboratory bioassay, the effect of aqueous, methanol and n-hexane shoot and root extracts of 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% w/v concentrations (on a fresh weight basis) of W. somnifera were tested against the germination and seedling growth of parthenium. In general, aqueous and methanol extracts markedly suppressed the germination, root and shoot growth of parthenium. The shoot extracts were more inhibitory than the root extracts. In a foliar spray bioassay, the aqueous and methanol shoot extracts of 10% w/v (on a dry weight basis) concentration were sprayed on 1-week and 2-week-old pot-grown parthenium seedlings. Two subsequent sprays were carried out 5 and 10 days after the first spray. The aqueous and methanol extracts significantly reduced the length and biomass of parthenium shoots. In a soil amendment bioassay, the crushed shoots of W. somnifera were incorporated in the soil at 1-5% w/w. Parthenium seeds were sown one week after the residue incorporation and plants were harvested 40 days after sowing. All the soil amendment treatments significantly reduced seed germination by 43-89%. The highest dosages of 4% and 5% significantly suppressed the root and shoot biomasses of parthenium. This study concludes that foliar spray of aqueous and methanol extracts, and soil amendment with leaf residue of W. somnifera, can control the germination and growth of parthenium, one of the world's worst weeds.

The antifungal activity of Melia azedarach L. leaves was investigated against Ascochyta rabiei (Pass.) Lab., the cause of destructive blight disease of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). Bioassay guided fractionation revealed that the chloroform fraction of the methanolic extract of M. azedarach leaves was highly effective against A. rabiei. Six compounds, namely β-sitosterol (1), β-amyrin (2), ursolic acid (3), benzoic acid (4), 3,5 dimethoxybenzoic acid (5) and maesol (6) were isolated from the chloroform fraction through column chromatography. The in vitro antifungal activity of compounds 2-5 was evaluated against A. rabiei. A commercial fungicide, mancozeb, was used as a positive control. Different concentrations of mancozeb and the isolated compounds, ranging from 0.0039 to 4 mg mL(-1), were used in the antifungal bioassay, and data regarding minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was recorded 24, 48 and 72 h after incubation. All concentrations of mancozeb inhibited the fungal spore germination at all three incubation periods. The tested compounds exhibited variable antifungal activity against the target fungal pathogens. All compounds showed their highest antifungal activity after 24 h of incubation. Compound 2 was found to be the most effective, with an MIC of 0.0156 mg mL(-1), followed by compounds 3, 4 and 5, with MIC values of 0.0312, 0.25 and 0.125 mg mL(-1), respectively.

Five flavonoids, namely (-)-epicatechin-3-O-β-glucopyranoside (1), 5-hydroxy-3-(4-hydroxylphenyl)pyrano[3,2-g]chromene-4(8H)-one (2), 6-(p-hydroxybenzyl)taxifolin-7-O-β-D-glucoside (tricuspid) (3), quercetin-3-O-α-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-β-D-glucopyranoside (4) and (-)-epicatechin(2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3,4-dihydro-2H-chromene-3,5,7-triol (5), were isolated from the leaves of mango (Mangifera indica L.). Antifungal activity of these compounds was evaluated against five fungal species, namely Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissler, Aspergillus fumigatus Fresenius, Aspergillus niger van Tieghem, Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid. and Penicillium citrii. Six concentrations, namely 100, 300, 500, 700, 900 and 1000 ppm of each of the five flavonoids were employed by means of the poisoned medium technique. All concentrations of the five test flavonoids significantly suppressed fungal growth. However, the specificity of different test compounds was evident against different fungal species. In general, antifungal activity of the flavonoids was gradually increased by increasing their concentrations. The highest concentration (of 1000 ppm) of compounds 1-5 reduced the growth of different target fungal species by 63-97%, 56-96%, 76-99%, 76-98% and 82-96%, respectively.

Herbicidal activity of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal. was studied against Phalaris minor Retz., one of the most problematic weeds of wheat in Pakistan. In laboratory bioassays the aqueous, methanol and n-hexane extracts of 5, 10 and 15% w/v (fresh weight basis) of the roots and shoots of W. somnifera were applied. Extracts in the different solvents exhibited markedly variable herbicidal activities against germination and seedling growth of the target weed species. The methanol extracts showed the highest toxicity. Different concentrations of methanol shoot and root extracts declined the germination of P. minor by 21-71%, its shoot length by 40-72%, its root length by 50-99% and the plant biomass by 32-83%. The aqueous extracts proved to be comparatively less toxic than the methanol extracts, where generally the highest concentration of 15% exhibited pronounced toxicity against the target weed species. There was up to 48, 51, 99 and 55% suppression of the weed's germination, shoot length, root length and plant biomass, respectively, due to the 15% aqueous root and shoot extracts. Generally, the n-hexane extracts of both roots and shoots exhibited insignificant or stimulatory effects against weed shoot length and plant biomass. In a foliar spray bioassay, aqueous and methanol shoot extracts of 10% w/v (dry weight basis) concentration were sprayed on one- and two-week old pot grown P. minor seedlings. Two subsequent sprays were carried out at five day intervals each. The aqueous extract significantly reduced the shoot and root dry biomass of one-week old P. minor plants. In a residue incorporation bioassay, crushed shoots of W. somnifera were incorporated in the soil at 1, 2, ... 5% w/w. Phalaris minor seeds were sown one week after residue incorporation and plants were harvested 45 days after sowing. The lower concentrations of 2 and 3% significantly reduced, while higher concentrations of 4 and 5% of residue incorporation completely arrested, the germination of P. minor. The present study concludes that both roots and shoots of W. somnifera contain herbicidal constituents against P. minor.

A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of aqueous extracts of six plant species, namely Azadirachta indica A. Juss. (neem), Alstonia scholaris (L.) R. Br., Lawsonia alba Lam., Allium cepa L., A. sativum L. and Zingiber officinale Roscoe, and a systemic fungicide carbendazim 50% (w/w) WP, to manage the corm-rot disease of Gladiolus (Gladiolus grandiflorus L.) caused by a fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. gladioli (Massey) Snyd. & Hans. Fusarium inoculation showed 80% disease incidence with 54 disease lesions per corm. Recommended dose of the chemical fungicide carbendazim significantly reduced the disease incidence to 13% and number of lesions to six per corm. Plant extract treatments exhibited variable effects on the incidence and severity of the disease. In general, all the test plant extracts managed the corm-rot disease to some extent. Aqueous bulb extracts of A. sativum and A. cepa and the rhizome extract of Z. officinale showed better disease management potential than that of the recommended dose of carbendazim. Fusarium inoculation significantly declined shoot growth. In general, carbendazim, as well as aqueous extracts, enhanced shoot growth to variable extents as compared to the Fusarium control.

Antifungal activity of methanol and n-hexane leaf, stem, root and inflorescence extracts (1, 2, 3 and 4% w/v) of three Chenopodium species (family Chenopodiaceae) namely Chenopodium album L., Chenopodium murale L. and Chenopodium ambrosioides L. was investigated against Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) G. Goid., a soil-borne fungal plant pathogen that has a broad host range and wide geographical distribution. All the extracts of the three Chenopodium species significantly suppressed the test fungal growth. However, there was marked variation among the various extract treatments. Methanol inflorescence extract of C. album exhibited highest antifungal activity resulting in up to 96% reduction in fungal biomass production. By contrast, methanol leaf extract of the same species exhibited least antifungal activity where 21-44% reduction in fungal biomass was recorded due to various employed extract concentrations. The various methanol extracts of C. murale and C. ambrosioides decreased fungal biomass by 62-90 and 50-84%, respectively. Similarly, various n-hexane extracts of C. album, C. murale and C. ambrosioides reduced fungal biomass by 60-94, 43-90 and 49-86%, respectively.

In field studies, we evaluated the herbicidal effects of Melia azedarach L. leaf extract against a weed Rumex dentatus L. and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crop. We isolated and identified a bioactive constituent in the methanolic extract of M. azedarach leaves with column chromatography and Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The leaf extract of M. azedarach at 10 % (w/v) concentration significantly reduced the R. dentatus weed biomass up to 65.24 % and subsequently increased the wheat yield by 41.4 %. While, the leaf extract of M. azedarach at 10 % concentration + Bromoxynil (70 g a.i.) + MCPA (70 g a.i) significantly reduced the R. dentatus weed biomass up to 96.77 %, with an increase of 67.6 % in wheat yield. In lab. study, 11 purified fractions (1, 2, 3, ..., 11) from methanolic leaf extract of M. azedarach were tested for their herbicidal activity on leaf discs of R. dentatus. Fraction 7 showed the highest herbicidal activity and was identified as a-selinene through GC-MS analysis. It showed herbicidal activity against R. dentatus at 0.5 mg mL-1 concentration, but was not harmful to wheat. In lab bioassays, 2,4-D [2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid] was used a reference compound that caused necrosis in R. dentatus at a concentration of 0.25 mg mL-1. This study concluded that the a-selinene identified from M. azedarach may be developed as natural herbicide to avoid the harmful effects of synthetic herbicides. Besides, structure of a-selinene can be used as an analogue to synthesize commercial herbicides. To further improve the herbicidal activity of this compound, its derivatives need to be investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracts of three medicinal plants namely ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe), onion (Allium cepa L.) and garlic (Allium sativum L.) were assessed for their herbicidal activity against noxious parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.). Aqueous as well as n-hexane extracts of the three test plant species effectively declined germination and early seedling growth of the weed. However, herbicidal potential of the extracts varied with the plant species and the extracting solvent. Herbicidal activity of aqueous extracts of garlic and onion was more pronounced than aqueous extract of ginger. The highest suppressive ability was exhibited by extracts of garlic where 10% and 15% concentrations completely inhibited germination, and root and shoot growth of parthenium. Similarly, n-hexane extract of ginger was found highly effective resulting in complete suppression of germination and seedling growth of parthenium. This study concludes that aqueous extracts of garlic and n-hexane extract of ginger are highly effective for management of parthenium weed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present study was undertaken to investigate the antifungal potential of methanolic fruit extract of Datura metel L. (Syn. Datura alba Nees.) and its various solvent fractions against Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc., the cause of devastating collar rot disease of bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). In an in vitro study, conducted in 250-mL conical flasks, different concentrations of methanolic fruit extract (0.5, 1.0, 1.5,..., 4.0%) significantly reduced the fungal biomass by 69-94%. Methanolic fruit extract was successively partitioned among n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol in order of increasing polarity. Different concentrations (3.125, 6.25, 12.50, 25, 50, 100, 200 mg mL-1) of these fractions were used against the test pathogen. Pronounced variability in antifungal activity was recorded with respect to extracting solvent and the extract concentration. Chloroform fraction exhibited the highest antifungal activity resulting in 36-50% reduction due to different concentrations. Ethyl acetate was found comparatively less inhibitory where only 8-35% reduction in fungal biomass was observed due to different concentrations of the extract. n-hexane, n-butanol and aqueous fractions generally stimulated the fungal growth to variable extents. The present study concludes that S. rolfsii can be controlled by natural antifungal compounds in chloroform fraction of methanolic fruit extract of D. metel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antifungal potential of different parts of Chenopodium album L. was examined against Fusarium oxysporum Schlechtend. f. sp. cepae (Hans.) Snyder and Hansen, the cause of basal rot disease of onion (Allium cepa L.). In screening bioassays, the effect of different concentrations (0.5, 1.0, ...3.0%) of methanolic leaf, stem, root and inflorescence extracts of C. album was investigated. Extracts of different parts of the test plant species showed variable antifungal activity. The highest antifungal activity was exhibited by inflorescence extract. Different concentrations of this extract suppressed fungal growth by 24-80%. Methanolic inflorescence extract was successively extracted with n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol. The highest antifungal activity was shown by ethyl acetate fraction resulting in 68-100% reduction in fungal biomass. From ethyl acetate fraction, three unknown compounds viz. A, B and C were isolated through thin layer chromatography (TLC). TLC fraction A exhibited the highest antifungal activity with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 250 µg mL-1. Thus, antifungal constituents of ethyl acetate fraction of methanolic inflorescence extract of C. album can be used as natural fungicides for the management of basal plate rot of onion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sclerotium rolfii Sacc. causes collar rot disease in bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) that results in significant yield losses. Since use of fungicides causes environmental pollution and health hazards, therefore, an alternative environment friendly strategy was used to control this pathogen. Methanolic leaf extract of weed Datura metel L. (family Solanaceae), was evaluated for its efficacy in controlling in-vitro growth of S. rolfii. Extract concentrations ranging from 0.5 % to 4.0 %, significantly controlled the fungal growth by 29-88 % over control. Based on the polarity, various constituents of methanolic leaf extract were partitioned with n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol. Bioassays with 3.125 to 200 mg mL-1 concentrations of these fractions revealed that chloroform fraction was the most antifungal followed by ethyl acetate fraction that reduced the biomass of S. rolfsii by 36-47 % and 5-43 %, respectively. The best antifungal chloroform fraction was subjected to GC-MS analysis to identify its antifungal constituents. A total of 19 compounds were identified in this fraction. The most abundant compound were 1-hexacosanol (12.87 %), 1-octadecene (10.69 %), 2-methyl-3-phenyl-2-propenal (8.72 %), 1-eicosanol (6.80 %). 1-heptadecene (6.66 %), 1-octadecanol (6.62 %), 1,3(15),10-bisabolatriene (6.41 %) and 1,6,10-farnesatrien-3-ol (6.38 %). This study concluded that chloroform soluble fraction of methanolic leaf extract contained potent antifungal compounds to control S. rolfsii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]