Bioactive components of Erythrophleum suaveolens (Brenan) leaves extracts and their antifungal effect on Aspergillus flavus isolated from maize seeds

Abstract

This study set out to evaluate the phytochemical composition of Erythrophleum suaveolens leaves extract and its fungicidal attributes on Aspergillus flavus isolated from maize seeds. The leaves of E. suaveolens were collected from Gwagalada, Abuja, Nigeria, and subjected to soxhlet extraction with methanol and chloroform as solvents to determine the bioactive compounds in the leaves compared to water crude extract. Different crude concentrations of the plant extracts were added for the antifungal effect into wells within Aspergillus flavus swabbed in a potato dextrose agar plate to diffuse at room temperature for 2hrs and the plates were incubated at 28oC for 48hrs before measuring the diameter of the inhibition zones. Tannins, alkaloid, phenols, Triterpenoids, saponin, and flavonoid were present in the plant with tannin, flavonoid, saponin, alkaloid, and phenol having a concentration of 2.49, 1.448, 2.69, 0.505 and 0.366 mg/g respectively. The water, chloroform, and methanol extracts had an inhibitory diameter zone of 10 ± 0.58, 3 ± 0.58, and 0 mm, respectively at p<0.05. This study showed the presence of some bioactive compounds in E. suaveolens. Furthermore, water extract of the plant had higher antifungal potency on A. flavus isolated from maize seeds.