Abstract: Various parts of the Jatropha curcas plant are of medicinal
value, its wood and fruit can be used for numerous purposes including fuel.
In the present study the effectiveness of Jatropha curcas oil on inactivation
of some mycoflora were determined. As a measure of testing the antimicrobial
property of Jatropha curcas oil were subjected against six selected fungi
viz. Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus
fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium chlamydosporum and
Penicillium glabrum. Poisoned food technique was used to evaluate the
antifungal effect of J. curcas oil. Two different concentrations of
Jatropha oil i.e., 100 μL and 500 μL were mixed with potato dextrose
agar (PDA) medium in Petri plates. Maximum radial growth was shown by control
of Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus
niger i.e., 90 mm (full growth on petri plate) followed by the control of
Alternaria alternata i.e., 77.3 mm and minimum growth was shown by Penicillium
glabrum i.e., 21 mm followed by Aspergillus niger i.e., 33 mm at
500 μL concentration of Jatropha oil. Maximum percent inhibition
was shown by Penicillium glabrum i.e., 82.96% followed by Aspergillus
niger i.e., 63.33% at 500 μL concentration of Jatropha oil and
minimum percent inhibition was shown by Fusarium chlamydosporum i.e.,
31.59% at 100 μL concentration of Jatropha oil. From this experiment
it was concluded that Jatropha oil has promising antifungal effect on
Penicillium glabrum and Aspergillus niger. |