Evaluation of antifungal activity of Meliaceae family against Macrophomina phaseolina

Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid is a soil-borne fungal pathogen that causes root rot disease in more than 500 plant species but no registered fungicide is available for its control. The present study was carried out to investigate the antifungal activity of aqueous leaf extracts of Azadirachta indica A. Juss., Melia azedarach L. and Toona ciliata Roxb. (Meliaceae) against M. phaseolina. Aqueous extracts of 5-20% concentrations of both A. indica and M. azedarach significantly reduced biomass of M. phaseolina by 34 – 85% and 43 – 78%, respectively. By contrast, aqueous extracts of T. ciliata stimulated the growth of the fungus at all the tested concentrations.