Management of Strawberry Grey Mold Disease Using Biocontrol Agents and Plant Extracts

Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) is a significant global soft fruit crop, prized for its nutrient content and pleasant flavor. However, diseases, particularly grey mold caused by Botrytis cinerea Pers. Fr. poses major constraints to strawberry production and productivity. Grey mold severely impacts fruit quality and quantity, diminishing market value. This study evaluated five B. cinerea isolates from various locations in the Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya. All isolates were pathogenic, with isolate SGM 2 identified as highly virulent. Host range studies showed the pathogen-producing symptoms in the fava bean pods, marigold, gerbera, and chrysanthemum flowers and in the fava bean, gerbera, and lettuce leaves. In vitro tests revealed that neem extract (15% w/v) achieved the highest mycelial growth inhibition at 76.66%, while black turmeric extract (5% w/v) had the lowest inhibition at 9.62%. Dual culture methods with bio-control agents indicated that Bacillus subtilis recorded the highest mean inhibition at 77.03%, while Pseudomonas fluorescens had the lowest at 20.36% against the two virulent isolates. Pot evaluations demonstrated that B. subtilis resulted in the lowest percent disease index at 20.59%, followed by neem extract at 23.31%, with the highest disease index in the control group at 42.51%. Additionally, B. subtilis significantly improved plant growth, yielding an average of 0.32 kg compared to 0.14 kg in the control. The promising results of B. subtilis and neem leaf extract from this study suggest their potential for eco-friendly managing grey mold in strawberries under field conditions.

Assessing the Efficacy of Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) and Sambong (Blumea balsamifera) Extracts in Combating Black Pod Disease: Sustainable Solutions for Controlling Phytophthora megakarya in Cameroon’s Cocoa Plantations

The use of plant extracts as antifungal agents is gaining increasing attention, particularly for the control of black pod disease in cocoa. Despite extensive research, current strategies haven’t been entirely effective. This study evaluated the effectiveness of Cymbopogon citratus and Blumea balsamifora leaf extracts, both individually and in combination, against Phytophthora megakarya. We assessed the efficacy of the most promising combination (75% B. balsamifera, 25% C. citratus) after storage at room temperature for up to 9 days. Agar microdilution and in vivo bioassays were conducted to determine antifungal susceptibility and effectiveness. Blumea extract exhibited the highest overall inhibitory activity, with the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (117 µl mL−1) while C. citratus had a narrower range of MIC (146 to 233 µl mL−1). The combination of C. citratus and B. balsamifera demonstrated a synergistic effect against P. megakarya, achieving growth inhibition on V8 media (92.72 ± 4.20% to 100%) and on artificially infected detached pod cortex (92.24 ± 4.53% to 98.75 ± 1.25%), which was not significantly different from the positive control (Ridomil). Furthermore, this combination maintained its effectiveness for up to 9 days at room temperature. These findings suggest that combining plant extracts can enhance their antifungal properties.

Mechanism of Rosae Rugosae Flos flavonoids in the treatment of hyperlipidemia and optimization of extraction process based on network pharmacology

This study aims to identify a natural plant chemical with hypolipidemic effects that can be used to treat high cholesterol without adverse reactions.Through network pharmacology screening,it was found that Rosae Rugosae Flos(RF)flavonoids had potential therapeutic effects on hyperlipidemia and its mechanism of action was discussed.TCMSP and GeneCards databases were used to obtain active ingredients and disease targets.Venn diagrams were drawn to illustrate the findings.The interaction network diagram was created using Cytoscape 3.8.0 software.The PPI protein network was constructed using String.GO and KEGG enrichment analysis was performed using Metascape.The results revealed 2 active flavonoid ingredients and 60 potential targets in RF.The key targets,including CCL2,PPARG,and PPARA,were found to play a role in multiple pathways such as the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway,lipid and atherosclerosis,and cancer pathway in diabetic complications.The solvent extraction method was optimized for efficient flavonoid extraction based on network pharmacology prediction results.This was achieved through a single factor and orthogonal test,resulting in an optimum process with a reflux time of 1.5 h,a solid-liquid ratio of 1:13 g/mL,and an ethanol concentration of 50%.

Inhibitory Effects of Some Plant Extracts on 5 Bacterial Strains

[Objective] This study was conducted to develop potential natural plant products for controlling walnut blight pathogen and other bacteria. [Method] Inhibitory effects of extracts obtained from 15 plants with 3 solvents on bacteria were investi- gated by disk diffusion method. [Results] Except the extracts from Magnolia grandi- flora and Typha orientalis, extracts of 13 plant leaves presented inhibitory effects on 5 bacteria strains to certain degrees. Among them, the effect of water extract of Aesculu schinensis on Bacillus sp. XHE8 was the strongest, with inhibition zone di- ameter reaching （31.3＋3.9） mm and the ratio to control above 5.0. Four of the 5 tested strains were sensitive to the extracts of Sambucus chinensis, and 3 of them were inhibited by Ophiopegon japonicas extracts and Reineckia camea extracts, with ratios of treatment to control large than 1.5 in all. Leaf extract of A. chinensis had significant anti-bacteria ability, and could be used as a potential plant source for bactericide. [Conclusion] The results laid a foundation for exploring active com- pounds and elucidating the mechanism in it.

Antibacterial activity of eight Iranian plant extracts against methicillin and cefixime restistant Staphylococcous aureus strains

Objective:To assess the antibacterial activity of eight Iranian plant extracts against Staphylococcus aureus(S.aureus) strains which were isolated from infected patients.Methods: The studied strains were isolated from urine,stool,blood and wound of infected patients and identified by biochemical tests.In further,the antibacterial activity of 8 ethanolic local plant extracts including Querqus brantii(Q.brantii),Ziziphus spina-christi(Z.spina-christi),Peganum harmala(P.harmala),Oliveira decumbens(O.decumbens),Galium tricornutum(G.tricornutum), Vitex pseudo negundo(Vi.pseudo negundo),Salvia officinalis(S.officinalis),Vaccaria pyramidata (V.pyramidata) were then evaluated using agar disc diffusion method.Results:A total of 9 isolates were isolated and identified as S.aureus.Antibacterial profile of the strains showed that the strains were resistant to methicillin and cefixime.The highest antibacterial activity against the studied strains were belong to Q.brantii,P.harmala,Z.spina-christi and O.decumbens vent extracts with 11-40 mm,15-28 mm,8-26 mm and 10-20 mm of diameters,respectively. Intermediate antibacterial activity was exhibited by G.tricornutum and Vi.pseudo negundo against some of the studied strains with 7-20 mm and 7-13 mm of diameters,respectively. Noteworthy,out of 9 studied strains;6 and 2 of them were resistant to the G.tricornutum and Vi. pseudo negundo extracts,respectively.The S.officinalis and Va.pyramidata,however,showed no antibacterial activity against the studied strains.Conclusions:The Q.brantii,P.harmala,Z. spina-christi and O.decumbens extracts were shown to possess strong antibacterial activity against methicillin and cefixime resistant S.aureus strains and can be considered as the promising natural antibiotics for treating the studied strains.

Effect of plant extracts on activity of some defense enzymes of apple fruit in interaction with Botrytis cinerea

The efficacy of seven plant extracts(neem,fennel,lavender,thyme,pennyroyal,salvia and asafetida) in controlling postharvest of apple(caused by Botrytis cinerea) was evaluated in vitro and in vivo.In vitro,all plant extracts treatments inhibited spore germination.Inhibitory rates of pore germination was 17.41 and 20.83% for neem extract treatment(methanolic and aqueous extracts,respectively) with significant difference compared to control(73.6 and 85.33%) for aqueous and methanol extracts.In the storage conditions,the application of aqueous extract of neem(at concentration of 25%) resulted in 89.11% reduction of disease severity compared with the untreated control.Results of enzymes activity showed the plant extracts can increase the activity of peroxidase,phenylalanine ammonia-lyase,β-1,3-glucanase and polyphenol oxidase in the presence of pathogens,in apple fruits.However,the results of this research revealed that application of neem extracts was more effective than the application of other plant extracts.According to this study,it could be concluded that plant extracts may be useful to control postharvest disease as a safe alternative option to chemical fungicides.

Larvicidal and repellent activity of medicinal plant extracts from Eastern Ghats of South India against malaria and filariasis vectors

Objective:To evaluate the larvicidal and repellent activities of ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of Acacia concinna（A.concinna）,Cassia siamea（C.siamea）.Conundrum sativum（C. sativum）,Cuminum cyminum（C.cyminum）,Lantana camma（L.camara）,Nelumbo nucifera （N.nucifera） Phyllanlhus amarus（P.amarus）.Piper nigrum（P.nigrum） and Trachyspermum ammi（T.ammi） against Anopheles stephensi（An.stephensi） and Culex quinquefasciatus（Cx. quinquefasciatus）.Methods:The larvicidal activity of medicinal plant extracts were tested against earl) fourth-instar larvae of malaria and filariasis vectors.The mortality was observed 24 h and 48 h after treatment,data were subjected to probit analysis to determine the lethal concentrations(LC50 and LC90) to kill 50 and 90 per cent of the treated larvae of the tested species. The repellent efficacy was determined against two mosquito species at five concentrations（31.25. 62.50.125.00.250.00,and 500.00 ppm） under the laboratory conditions.Results:All plant extracts showed moderate effects after 24 h and 48 h of exposure;however,the highest activity was observed after 24 h in the leaf methanol extract ol N.nucifera.seed ethyl acetate and methanol extract of P.nigrum against the larvae of An.Stephensi(LC50 = 34.76.24.54 and 30.20 ppm) and against Cx.quinquefasciatus(LC50= 37.49.43.94 and 57.39 ppm),respectively.The toxic effect of leaf methanol extract of C.siamea,seed methanol extract of C.cyminum,leaf ethyl acetate extract of N.nucifera.leaf ethyl acetate and methanol extract of P.amarus and seed methanol extract of T.ammi were showed 100%mortality against An.stephensi and Cx.quinquefasciatus alter 48 h exposer.The maximum repellent activity was observed at 500 ppm in methanol extracts of N. nucifera.ethyl acetate and methanol extract of P.nigrum and methanol extract of T.ammi and the mean complete protection time ranged from 30 to 150 min with the different extracts tested. Conclusions:These results suggest that the leaf and seed extracts of C.siamea.N.nucifera.P. amarus.P.nigrum and T.ammi have the potential to be used as an ideal ecofriendly approach for the control of the An.stephensi and Cx.quinquefasciatus.

Sperm immobilization activity of Allium sativum L. and other plant extracts

<abstract>Aim: To identify possible spermicidal agents through screening a number of edible medicinal plants with antimicrobial activity. Methods: Initial screening was made on the basis of ram cauda epididymal sperm immobilization immediately after addition of extracts. The most potent extract was selected and was evaluated on both ram and human spermatozoa. To unravel its mode of action several sperm functional tests were carried out, namely viability of cells, hypo-osmotic swelling test for membrane integrity and assays of membrane-bound enzyme 5'-nucleotidase and acrosomal marker enzyme acrosin. Results: The crude aqueous extract of the bulb of Allium sativum L. showed the most promising results by instant immobilization of the ram epididymal sperm at 0.25 g/mL and human ejaculated sperm at 0.5 g/mL. Sperm immobilizing effects were irreversible and the factor of the extract responsible for immobilization was thermostable up to 90 癈. On boiling at 100 癈 for 10 minutes, this activity was markedly reduced. Moreover, this extract was able to cause aggregation of ram sperms into small clusters after 30 minutes of incubation at 37 癈. However this property was not found in human spermatozoa. More than 50 % reduction in sperm viability and hypo-osmotic swelling occurred in treated sperm as compared with the controls, indicating the possibility of plasma membrane disintegration which was further supported by the significant reduction in the activity of membrane bound 5'-nucleotidase and acrosomal acrosin. Conclusion: The crude aqueous extract of A. sativum bulb possesses spermicidal activity in vitro.

Synergistic effects of plant extracts and antibiotics on Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from clinical specimens

Objective:This study has been done to evaluate the interaction between water extracts of Psidium guajava, Rosmarinus officinalis,Salvia fruticosa,Majorana syriaca,Ocimum basilucum,Syzygium aromaticum,Laurus nobilis,and Rosa damascena alone and then synergy testing of these extracts with known antimicrobial agents including oxytetracycline HCl,gentamicin sulfate,penicillin G,cephalexin and enrofloxacin.This study was conducted against five S.aureus isolates;one is Methicillin -resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) and 4 Methicillin - sensitive Staphylococcus aureus(MSSA).Methods:Evaluation of the interaction between plant extracts and different antimicrobial agents has been done using well - diffusion and microdilution methods. Results:The results of the conducted experiments using well - diffusion method demonstrate that these plants showed in vitro interactions between antimicrobial agents and plant extracts were additive,while using microdilution method showed synergistic effects with significant reduction in the MICs of the test antibiotics against these strains of S.aureus.This change in MIC was noticed in all plant extracts against test antibiotics including these plants showed weak antibacterial activity by well diffusion method.Synergism effect was occurred in both sensitive and resistant strains but the magnitude of minimum fold reduction of inhibitory concentration in resistant strains especially MRSA strain was higher than the sensitive strains.Coclusion:This study probably suggests the possibility of concurrent use of these antimicrobial drugs and plant extracts in combination in treating infections caused by S.aureus strains or at least the concomitant administration may not impair the antimicrobial activity of these antibiotics.

Efficacy of Selected Plant Extracts against <i>Pyricularia grisea</i>, Causal Agent of Rice Blast Disease

Rice blast disease, caused by a seed-borne fungus Pyricularia grisea, is an important and serious disease of rice (Oryza sativa L.) worldwide. The disease has been reported to cause yield losses of up to 40% in Tanzania. Studies were conducted to determine the effect of aqueous extracts of Aloe vera, Allium sativum, Annona muricata, Azadirachta indica, Bidens pilosa, Camellia sinensis, Chrysanthemum coccineum, processed Coffee arabica, Datura stramonium, Nicotiana tabacum and Zingiber officinalis for control of rice blast disease (Pyricularia grisea) in-vitro and in-vivo. The results indicate that processed C. arabica at 10% and 25% (v/v) had the highest (81.12%) and (89.40%) inhibitory effect, respectively, against P. grisea. Aqueous extract from N. tabacum at 10% concentration ranked third (80.35%) in inhibiting P. grisea. These were followed by extracts from 25% A. vera (79.45%) and 25% C. coccineum flower (78.83%). The results also indicate that, extracts from A. indica, A. vera, A. sativum, C. arabica, D. stramonium, C. sinensis, Z. officinalis and N. tabacum did not have any phytotoxic effect on seed germination, shoot height, root length, dry weight, seedling growth and seedling vigour index. These plant extracts can thus be used for rice seed treatment to manage rice blast disease.

Evaluation of larvicidal activity of medicinal plant extracts against three mosquito vectors

Objective:To evaluate the mosquito larvicidal activity of plant extracts.Methods:The hexane,chloroform,ethyl acetate,acetone,and methanol leaf,flower and seed extracts of Abrus precatorius（A.precatorius）,Croton bonplandianum（C.bonplandianum）,Cynodon dactylon （C.dactylon）,Musa paradisiaca（M.paradisiaca） and Syzygium aromaticum（S.aromaticum） were tested against fourth instar larvae of Anopheles vagus（An.vagus）,Armigeres subalbatus （Ar.subalbatus） and Culex vishnui（Cx.vishnui）.Results:The highest larval mortality was found in seed ethyl acetate extracts of A.precatorius and leaf extracts of C.bonplandianum, flower chloroform and methanol extracts of M.paradisiaca,and flower bud hexane extract of S. aromaticum against An.vagus with LC50 values of 19.31,39.96,35.18,79.90 and 85.90μg/mL;leaf ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of C.dactylon,flower methanol extract of M.paradisiaca, flower bud methanol extract of S.aromaticum against Ar.subalbatus with LC50 values of 21.67, 32.62,48.90 and 78.28μg/mL,and seed methanol of A.precatorius,flower methanol extract of M.paradisiaca,flower bud hexane extract of S.aromaticum against Cx.vishnui with LC50 values of 136.84,103.36 and 149.56μg/mL,respectively.Conclusions:These results suggest that the effective plant crude extracts have the potential to be used as an ideal ecofriendly approach for the control of disease vectors.This study provides the first report on the larvicidal activity of crude solvent extracts of different mosquitoes.

Isolation of Nine Microorganisms from Rotten <i>Dioscorea rotundata</i>(White Yam) and Antimicrobial Sensitivity Test with Five Plant Extracts

Five yam tuber varieties were investigated for microorganisms that cause yam tuber rot from five local government areas of Benue State, Nigeria, between the months of March 2014 to March 2015. Five fungi species: Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus stolonifera, Botryodiplodia theobromae, Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium marnessei and four bacteria species: Serratia marcescens, Erwinia caro-tovora, Klebsiella oxytoca and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were consistently isolated. Pathogenicity test carried out confirmed these organisms as the pathological agent of the rot. Antimicrobial activity of five plant aqueous extracts: Terminalia catapa (common name fruit), Passiflora edulis (passion fruit), Daniella oliveri (Chiha-Tiv), Ceiba pentandra (Vambe-Tiv), Jatropha tanjorensis (Catholic plant) was carried out on the isolated microorganims and they showed varing degrees of inhibition, the aqueous extract from Passiflora edulis, Ceiba pentandra and Jatropha tanjorensis were able to inhibit all the fungi completely.

The Control Efficiency of Plant Alcohol Extracts on the Laboratory Populations of Myzus persicae(Sulzer)and Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach)

The effects of semiochemicals extracted from 63 species of plants, on peach aphid (Myzus per-sicae) and mustard aphid (Lipaphis erysimi), were studied in laboratory. The deterrent rate, reproduction deterrent index and the interferential index of population control (IIPC) was used to evaluate the efficiency of semiochemicals on population control of the two target aphids. The results showed that the extracts of 34 species of common plants have noticeable effect on both aphid populations, especially, Xanthium sibiricum Petr. Et Widd. and Syngonium podophyllum Schott. These plant extracts could be used to construct the plant pro-tectant to protect crops.

Larvicidal activities of hydro-ethanolic extracts of three Cameroonian medicinal plants against Aedes albopictus

Objective: To investigate the larvicidal activity of Syzygium guineense(Myrtaceae)(S. guineense), Monodora myristica and Zanthoxylum heitzii(Rutaceae)(Z. heitzii) extracts against Aedes albopictus(Ae. albopictus).Methods: The larvicidal activity of the hydro-ethanolic extracts from these plant species was assessed at three different concentrations(50, 100 and 200 mg/L) on first-instar of Ae. albopictus larvae in comparison with untreated controls. Mortality rate was recorded daily for a period of 12 days. The values of LC_(50) and lethal time killing 50% of the tested individuals(LT_(50)) were calculated using the log-probit analysis.Results: The root extract of S. guineense exhibited the best activity with 100% mortality after 8 days of treatment at 200 mg/L, followed by the fruit extract of Z. heitzii with83.33% mortality at the same concentration. Nonetheless, larvae were most susceptible to the fruit extract of Z. heitzii both in terms of LC_(50)(39.89 mg/L) and LT_(50)(145.68 h). A statistically significant difference between the control and the group treated at 200 mg/L was noticed in all the extracts.Conclusions: The present study shows that the hydro-ethanolic extracts of S. guineense,Monodora myristica and Z. heitzii tested have significant larvicidal activity. These preliminary results are of great interest and some of these plant species can be proposed for the formulation of new bioinsecticides to control Ae. albopictus populations.

Pharmacological effects of bioactive agents in earthworm extract:A comprehensive review

This review compiles information from the literature on the chemical composition,pharmacological effects,and molecular mechanisms of earthworm extract(EE)and suggests possibilities for clinical translation of EE.We also consider future trends and concerns in this domain.We summarize the bioactive components of EE,including G-90,lysenin,lumbrokinase,antimicrobial peptides,earthworm serine protease(ESP),and polyphenols,and detail the antitumor,antithrombotic,antiviral,antibacterial,anti-i nflammatory,analgesic,antioxidant,wound-healing,antifibrotic,and hypoglycemic activities and mechanisms of action of EE based on existing in vitro and in vivo studies.We further propose the potential of EE for clinical translation in anticancer and lipid-modifying therapies,and its promise as source of a novel agent for wound healing and resistance to antibiotic tolerance.The earthworm enzyme lumbrokinase embodies highly effective anticoagulant and thrombolytic properties and has the advantage of not causing bleeding phenomena due to hyperfibrinolysis.Its antifibrotic properties can reduce the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix.The glycolipoprotein extract G-90 can effectively scavenge reactive oxygen groups and protect cellular tissues from oxidative damage.Earthworms have evolved a well-developed defense mechanism to fight against microbial infections,and the bioactive agents in EE have shown good antibacterial,fungal,and viral properties in in vitro and in vivo experiments and can alleviate inflammatory responses caused by infections,effectively reducing pain.Recent studies have also highlighted the role of EE in lowering blood glucose.EE shows high medicinal value and is expected to be a source of many bioactive compounds.

Antibacterial potency of methanol extracts of lower plants

Antibacterial potency of methanol extracts of three green lower plants, Pneumatopteris afra, Platycerium bifurcatum and Nephrolepsis bisserata was determined using agar dilution method on clinical strains of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella spp. and Salmomelia typhi. Antibacterial activities were observed at concentrations of 12.5, 25.0, 50.0 and 100.0 μg/ml. Their minimum inhibitory concentrations ranged from 12.5~100 μg/ml. Extracts of P. afra and P. bifurcatum were most active. Antibacterial activities observed with N. bisserata were less pronounced with no detectable activity at extract con-centrations of 12.5 and 25.0 μg/ml. E. coli, together with S. aureus appeared to be the most susceptible of the test bacteria while Klebsiella spp. was least sensitive. The significance of our findings is discussed.

Antimicrobial Activities of Extracts of Macrosphyra longistyla against Gram-Positive Oral Biofilm-Formers from School Children in Southwestern Nigeria and Toxicity Studies Using Brine Shrimps

The world will benefit from more effective antimicrobial agents against oral conditions arising from the actions of biofilm forming bacteria. Also, information is lacking on the oral biofilm-forming bacterial diversity in Southwestern Nigeria. In this study, we isolate and characterize oral biofilm producing bacteria in the oral cavities of schoolchildren in Southwestern Nigeria. We also investigate the antimicrobial properties of Macrosphyra longistyla extracts against the biofilm-formers and the toxicity of potent extracts. Samples were obtained from 109 schoolchildren aged 4 - 14 years from Lagos, Oyo and Osun States. Agar well diffusion technique was used in the antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Toxicity testing was done using brine shrimps (Artemia salina). Biofilm-formers in this study are Klebsiella sp., Streptococcus sp., Staphylococcus sp., and Micrococcus sp. Ethanol leaf extracts had the highest activity against all biofilm-producing bacteria. Ethanol stem bark extract, which elicited activity against Klebsiella only, was found to be less toxic than the ethanol leaf extract. Staphylococcus showed >10 mm susceptibility to the ethanol and aqueous extracts of Macrosphyra longistyla. Streptococcus and Micrococcus were susceptible to the antimicrobial actions of the ethanolic leaf extracts. Although the ethanol extracts of the leaves had lower minimum inhibitory concentrations than the ethanol extracts of the stem bark, toxicity studies showed ethanol extracts of the stem-bark to be more toxic than the ethanol extracts of the leaves. In conclusion, ethanolic extracts of Macrosphyra longistyla show potential as sources of antimicrobials against gram-positive, oral biofilm-forming bacteria.

Adult emergence inhibition and adulticidal activities of medicinal plant extracts against Anopheles stephensi Liston

Objective:To determine the adult emergence inhibition（EI） and adulticidal activities of hexane,chloroform,ethyl acetate,and acetone leaves extracts of Anisomeles malabarica（A. malabarica）,Euphorbia hirta（E,hirta）,Ocimum basilicum（0.basilicum）,Ricinus communis（R. communis）,Solanum trilobatum（S.trilobatum）,Tridax procumbens（T.procumbens） and seeds of Gloriosa superba（G.superba） against Anopheles stephensi（An,stephensi）.Methods:The EI and adulticidal trials were carried out according to World Health Organization（WHO） procedures with slight modifications.The extracts were diluted in dimethyl sulphoxide in order to prepare a serial dilution of test dosages（15.625,31.25,62.5,125,250,500 and 1 000μg/mL）.Five duplicate trials were carried out for every sample concentration,and for each trial a negative control was included and the mortality was determined after 24 h of exposure.Results:The highest EI activity was found in ethyl acetate extracts of A malabarica,chloroform extracts of O.basilicum, S.trilobatum,acetone of extract of R.communis,T.procumbens,and seed extract of G.superba with EI50 values 143.12,119.82.157.87,139.39,111.19,and 134.85μg/mL,and the effective adulticidal activity was observed in chloroform,acetone extracts of G.superba,T.procumbens,R. communis,S.trilobatum and ethyl acetate extract of 0.basilicum with LD50 values 120.17,108.77, 127.22,163.11,118.27,and 93.02μg/mL,respectively.Chi-square value was significant at P【0.05 level.Conclusions:These results should encourage further efforts to investigate the compounds that might possess good EI and adulticidal properties when isolated in pure form.

Anti-<i>Helicobacter</i>Activity of Certain Food Plant Extracts and Juices and Their Composition <i>in Vitro</i>

Plant material screening was performed to study anti-Helicobacter pylori activity in vitro using an agar diffusion method on Columbia blood agar. 33 substances, juices and plant extracts and 35 of their combinations were tested. Quince (Cydonia oblonga) juice demonstrated the strongest anti-H. pylori activity followed by cranberry juice. Con-centrated apple juice, plum, red currant, black chokeberry, raspberry and bilberry juice also showed significant activity. Green tea and apple pomace extract as well as sweet flag rhizome, ginger and wild bergamot extract, cherry syrup, red beet juice and whey did not exhibit anti-Helicobacter activity. Quince juice in combination with bilberry, black chokeberry, red currant juice, green tea, sweet flag rhizome or apple pomace extract as well as cranberry juice in combination with sweet flag rhizome extract demonstrated a synergistic effect on inhibition of H. pylori. The obtained results offer new perspectives for development of functional anti-Helicobacter food product(s) for dietary management of H. pylori infection. The essential components of these products could be the most active juices and extracts like quince and cranberry juice supplemented with a corresponding synergist. Further studies are required to investigate the mechanism of antibacterial action of plant products and their efficacy in vivo.

Screening and Phytochemical Analysis of Some Plants Extracts against Aflatoxin Producing Fungi in Sesame, Benue State, Nigeria

This study investigated the phytochemical screening of some plant extracts against aflatoxin producing fungi in sesame (Sesamum indicum). The plants are Prosopis africana, Psorospermum febrifugum and rhizome of Curcuma longa. Various parts of the plants were dried, grounded and extracted in methanolic solvent. The preliminary phytochemical screening of methanol extracts for stem bark, leaves and rhizome of Curcuma longa revealed the presence of saponins, flavonoids, steroids, cardiac, glycosides, terpenoids, phenols and tannins. The result of anti-aflatoxigenic activity indicates that methanol extracts of these plants show significant activity against the fungi isolates. The effect of plants extracts on mycelia growth of the test organism reduced the mycelia growth significantly as compared to the control (Plate 6 (a-f)). In view of the efficacy of the activity of the plant extracts, it could be concluded that these medicinal plants possess antifungal properties that can be exploited for the control of aflatoxin in sesame. Further works are needed to investigate the biological active ingredients of these plants.