Antifungal Activities of Ailanthus altissima Swingle and Juglans regia L. Leaves Against Some Cereal Fungi

Abstract

In livestock farming, crop growing and industry, the toxic microfungi found in cereals is a very grave problem for centuries. The fungi produce toxins that cause chronic and acute toxications when their productive value of grain is decreased. Because of their susceptible nature to microbial contamination, cereals can be contaminated easily by filamentous fungi. In literatures; some Fusarium, Gibberella and Cladosporium species were given as field fungi and; some Aspergillus, Penicillium and Trichothecium species as storage fungi. The fungus species used in this study were Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus parasiticus, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium sporotrichioides, Gibberella fujikuroi, Penicillum brevicompactum, Penicillium griseofulvum and Trichothecium roseum. This study was undertaken to investigate the antifungal activity of Juglans regia L. (walnut) and Ailanthus altissima Swingle (tree of heaven) leaves against these mycotoxin andspoilage producing fungus. The powder of the leaves from J. regia L. and A. altissima Swingle (10% g/mL) showed the maximum antifungal activity against C. cladosporioides (71±2.0% for J. regia L. and 51±1.52% for A. altissima Swingle).Ethanol and methanol extracts of J. regia L. completely inhibited the spore germination at 5.0 and 10 mg/mL, and ethanol extract of A. altissima Swingle at 10 mg/mL. The minimum inhibitory concentration value of J. regia L. methanolic extracts against C. cladosporioides (0.625 mg/mL) was less than the other tested extracts. This study demonstrates that J. regia L. extracts have a potential to control the fungal contamination caused by C. cladosporioides