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Stream/Area:
-
Subject:
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Paper ID:
IJSREM65662
Volume:
10 |
6 |
Jun 2026
Pages:
1-12
Publication Frequency:
Monthly (12 issues per year)
License:International Journal of Scientific Research in Engineering and Management follows the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) License, allowing free use and distribution with proper attribution.

Department of Microbiology
Shri Datta Arts, Commerce and Science College, Hadgaon, Maharashtra, India.

Department of Microbiology
Shankarrao Chavan Mahavidyalaya, Ardhapur, Nanded , Maharashtra, India.
Plant pathogenic fungi, particularly Fusarium oxysporum and Alternaria alternata, are responsible for significant crop losses worldwide, necessitating the development of environmentally sustainable alternatives to synthetic fungicides. The present study evaluated the antifungal activity of fermented ethanolic extracts of Azadirachta indica (Neem), Allium sativum (Garlic), Curcuma longa (Turmeric), and Ocimum tenuiflorum (Tulsi) against these two economically important phytopathogens. Plant materials were fermented in 10% molasses using Lactobacillus plantarum for 12, 24, 36, and 48 days, followed by ethanolic extraction. Antifungal efficacy was assessed using agar well diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC), and GC–MS analysis. Fermentation significantly enhanced the antifungal activity of all plant extracts, with 48-day fermented extracts exhibiting the greatest inhibitory effects. Garlic extract demonstrated the highest antifungal activity, producing the largest inhibition zones of 28.6 ± 0.4 mm against F. oxysporum and 31.3 ± 0.4 mm against A. alternata at 50 mg mL⁻¹. The lowest MIC values were recorded for garlic and tulsi extracts, reaching 1.25 mg mL⁻¹ against F. oxysporum and 0.625 mg mL⁻¹ against A. alternata after 48 days of fermentation. GC–MS analysis identified several bioactive constituents, including diallyl disulfide, diallyl trisulfide, eugenol, ar-turmerone, β-turmerone, phytol, and β-caryophyllene, which are known for their antimicrobial properties. Statistical analysis revealed significant effects (P < 0.05) of plant species, fermentation period, extract concentration, and fungal pathogen on antifungal activity. These findings indicate that microbial fermentation enhances the bioactivity of medicinal plant extracts and highlight fermented garlic and tulsi extracts as promising eco-friendly biofungicidal candidates for the sustainable management of fungal plant diseases.
KEYWORDS
Overall, the study highlights the potential of fermented medicinal plant extracts as environmentally friendly alternatives to synthetic fungicides for the management of important plant pathogenic fungi. The enhanced antifungal activity observed following fermentation suggests that microbial biotransformation represents an effective strategy for improving the efficacy of botanical fungicides. Nevertheless, further investigations involving purification of individual bioactive compounds, quantitative metabolomic profiling, greenhouse validation, field evaluation, and toxicity assessment are required before large-scale agricultural application.
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Publication Date
6/30/2026
Peer Review Type
Double-Blind Peer Review
Review Rounds: 2
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