Antifungal Activity of Leaf Extracts and Essential Oils of some Medicinal Plants against Didymella bryoniae

The fungitoxicity of crude extracts and essential oils of Achillea millefolium\ Cymbopo`on citratus\ Eucalyptus citriodora and A`eratum conyzoides on the fungus Didy! mella bryoniae was veri_ed in vitro by means of ger! mination of spores and mycelial growth[ In additionsome observations were made using scanning electron microscopy "SEM# to detect possible alterations on the hyphae of Didymella bryoniae[ The results revealed that crude extracts of E[ citriodora and A[ conyzoides were more e}ective in inhibiting the mycelial growth of D[ bryoniae whereas in the germination of spores A[ con! yzoides and A[ millefolium were responsible for most of the inhibition\ namely\ 41 and 35)\ respectively[ The essential oils of C[ citratus\ A[ conyzoides and E[ citriodora provided 099) inhibition of the mycelial growth and germination of spores of D[ bryoniae[ SEM observations revealed alterations in the growth pattern of hyphae of D[ bryoniae when the essential oil of A[ millefolium was present