Isolation and Control the Rotting by the Late...

Isolation and Control the Rotting by the Latex Extracts of Ficus Racemosa

Author Name : Afsa Khan, Dr. Madhu Prakash Srivastava, Dr. Kanchan Awasthi, Dr. Neeraj Jain

ABSTRACT The study aimed to evaluate the in-vitro antifungal activity of the latex extracted from the Ficus racemosa plant against fungi cultivated on potato dextrose agar (PDA). PDA is a widely used microbiological growth medium for culturing fungi and bacteria, containing dextrose as a carbohydrate source to stimulate growth, potato infusion as a nutrient base for luxuriant fungal growth, and agar as a solidifying agent. It is a general-purpose medium commonly employed for cultivating yeasts and molds.Latex, a natural plant substance, can also be synthetically produced through chemical processes. The latex from different plant species possesses distinct characteristics and applications based on its chemical composition and historical usage in traditional medicine, industry, and indigenous practices. The study was conducted to estimate the percentage of damage caused by fungal infections in locally sourced and imported apple fruits (Pyrus malus) sold in the markets of Lucknow city. The fungi responsible for the rotting of apple fruits were isolated and identified. The results indicated that Aspergillus niger was the predominant fungus causing apple rot. Further analysis revealed that the fungus Penicillium was the most frequently encountered in rotting fruits, followed by Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus, and the least frequent being mycelium.The latex extracted from Ficus racemosa was tested for its efficacy in inhibiting the growth of fungi associated with the deterioration of Pyrus malus (apple) fruits.