Evaluation of the fungicidal activities of Solanum Anguivi lam and euphorbia Heterophylla linn extracts on the growth of Rhizopus Stolonifer and Mucor SPP
Abstract
Food spoilage and contamination is a serious public health concern that results in food borne
diseases and food insecurity that affect many people annually. Rhizopus stolonifer and Mucor
spp are some of the major fungal contaminants and spoilers of food in Uganda. An in-vitro
experiment was carried to evaluate the fungicidal activity of the ethanolic extracts of Solanum
anguivi Lam fruits and Euphorbia heterophylla Linn leaves against the growth of R. stolonifer
and Mucor spp. This study was conducted at Makerere University Department of Plant Sciences,
Microbiology and Biotechnology mycology Laboratory. The fungi were isolated from soil
picked at the department, purified and then identified based on colony characteristics,
microscopy and a bread test. The S. anguivi fruits and E. heterophylla leaves were collected from
Kyaliwajjala-Namugongo and extraction was done using maceration with ethanol as the
extraction solvent. The crude ethanolic extracts were then tested against R. stolonifer and Mucor
spp using the Agar well diffusion method and the minimum inhibition concentration determined.
Amphotericin B was used as the positive control, both plant extracts showed no effect against R.
stolonifer but showed inhibition against Mucor. spp