Experimental studies on active metabolites of Calotropis gigantea for evaluation of possible antifungal properties

Abstract

The active metabolites like phytochemicals from the medicinal plants were under exploration for the development of novel and biodegradable effective drugs as an alternative to the ineffective contemporary medicine.In the similar lines, the Calotropis gigantea leaves, buds and flowers were extracted for the active metabolites using ethanol, methanol, chloroform and aqueous solvents and then these solvent extracts of 100µl (25µg/ml) were tested separately for the in vitro antifungal activity against the test pathogenic fungi viz.Aspergillus niger, Rhizoctonia oryzae-sativae, Fusarium solani and Trichoderma viride.In the results ethanol buds extract has shown the highest growth reducing activity (67.82%) on Fusarium solani where the positive control, clotrimazole (10µg/ml) recorded 58% growth reduction.Similarly aqueous buds extract has shown ~66% growth reduction on Rhizoctonia oryzae-sativae where Clotrimazole, the positive control has shown the maximum growth reduction capability (~73%); however all the aqueous extracts exhibited the growth reduction capabilities on all the test fungi.On the contrary methanol leaves extract increased the growth of Aspergillus niger by 85%; and similarly chloroform leaves and buds extracts exhibited the growth supporting activity on Rhizoctonia oryzae-sativae (32%) and Trichoderma viride (34%) respectively.This study brings out the mixed results of Calotropis gigantean solvent extracts as antifungal drugs and hence makes a caution on the knowledgeable and judicious use of these extracts as a medicine as evident among the folklores.Further it is also advised to make advanced studies in the similar line for the effective utilization of this Calotropis species in either directions to serve the mankind.