Assessment of phytochemical constituents of Erythrophleum suaveolens (Brenan) stem bark extracts and its biological control of Aspergillus flavus isolated from Zea mays

Abstract

This study set out to evaluate the phytochemical composition of Erythrophleum suaveolens stem bark extract and its fungicidal attributes towards Aspergillus flavus isolated from Zea mays. The stem bark extract was obtained using soxhlet extraction method with methanol, chloroform, and water as solvents. Qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analysis was then carried out to determine the concentration of phytochemicals present in the stem bark extracts, this were the tannin, flavonoid, saponin and phenol with a concentration of 2.47, 1.328, 2.72 and 0.838 mg/g respectively. For the antifungal effect, different crude concentrations of the stem bark extracts were then added to agar wells within Aspergillus flavus swabbed in a potato dextrose agar plate for 2hrs at room temperature and allowed for diffusion to take place. After 48hrs, the cultured samples were examined for zones of inhibition. The water and chloroform extracts had an inhibitory diameter zone of 10 and 2 mm respectively. The utilization of plant extract of Erythrophleum suaveolens could form an alternative to synthetic fungicides/pesticides used in the management of pests and fungi diseases. Significant implication from the result was that, water extract of the plant had higher antifungal potency towards A. flavus isolated from Zea mays