"ANTIFUNGAL POTENTIAL OF MURRAYA KOENIGII (L.) BARK ALCOHOLIC EXTRACT AGAINST PATHOGENIC FUNGAL STRAINS: AN IN VITRO STUDY".

Objective: Murraya koenigii (M. Koenigii) is a common indigenous plant in Tamil Nadu, India, known for its various medicinal properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential antifungal activity of an ethanolic extract of bark of M. koenigii (EEBMK) against five fungal species. Methods: EEBMK extract was evaluated in vitro for its antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger, Trichoderma viride, Fusarium oxysporum, Candida albicans, and Cryptococcus neoformans using the agar well diffusion method. Results: EEBMK significantly inhibited the growth of C. neoformans, C. albicans and suppressed the growth of F. oxysporum and A. niger. However, EEBMK showed no activity against T. viride strains. The antifungal activity of EEBMK was sequenced as C. neoformans (15.6 ± 1.15 mm) > C. albicans (14.3 ±1.5 mm) > F. oxysporum (8.3 ± 0.57 mm) > A. niger (8 ±1 mm). Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that EEBMK could be used as a natural antifungal agent to treat infections caused by certain types of fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]