Antifungal Effect of the Aqueous and Ethanolic Avicennia marina Extracts on Alternaria citri and Penicillium digitatum

Background Plants have a great potential for producing new drugs of great benefit to mankind. There are many approaches to the search for new biologically active principles in higher plants. Objectives The aim of this study was to determine antifungal effect of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Avicenniamarina on Penicilliumdigitatum and Alternariacitri in vitro. Materials and Methods In this experimental study, antimicrobial effects of extract were determined by screening antimicrobial activity and disk agar diffusion test in 20, 40, 60 and 80 mg/mL concentration of the extract against P. digitatum and A. citri. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) were determined by incorporating various concentrations of extracts in Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA) in tubes against P. digitatum and A. citri. The data were analyzed using one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) using SPSS-17. Results The results indicate that extracts of A. marina mostly had been effective on P. digitatum and have the least impact on A. citri. The results show that the ethanol extract of mangrove leaf with antimicrobial activity method in 2 mg/mL, were inhibited the growth of P. digitatum and A. citri. In disk agar diffusion test the mentioned extract were shown inhibition effect on pathogen molds growth (P < 0.05). Conclusions Ethanolic extract compared to the aqueous extract was more effective and has a greater inhibition effect. The results of this study showed that the extract of A. marina has antifungal properties that justify their traditional use as medicinal plants.