Antifungal activity of some medicinal plants of Sri Lanka

Abstract

Thirty six medicinal plants (63 extracts) have been screened for antifungal activity against Cladosporium cladosporioides. Extracts of the following plants have displayed significant antifungal activity: Butea monosperma, Costus speclosus, Curcuma zedoaria, Eupatorium riparium, Pleiospennium alatum. Theobroma cacao i and Z~ngrber zerumbet. A preformed antifungal constituent of C. speciosus has been identified as methyl 3-(4-hydroxypheny1)-2 (E)-propenoate (1). The andfungal activity of this compound has been evaluated against Aspergillus niger, G. cladospo-rioides, Collerotrichum gloeosporioides, Curvularia sp. and Penicillium sp.