Antifungal Activity of Natural Dye from Aerial Biomass of Barleria prionitis L . and Dyed Fabrics

Natural dye extracted from aerial parts of Barleria prionitis and different kinds of textile fabrics dyed with the natural dye were investigated for their antifungal activity. Antifungal activity of natural dye and dyed fabrics was assessed against standard strains of five fungi namely Aspergillus flavus, A. niger, A. parasiticus, Fusarium moniliforme and Penicillium canescens using agar-well diffusion method. The MIC was determined by the broth dilution method. Further, the antifungal potency of dyed fabrics (silk, wool, and cotton) against the test fungi was quantitatively evaluated by the reported method. Different treatment doses of natural dye exhibited a varying degree of antifungal activity against the five test fungi. The highest growth reduction in all the test fungi, however, was recorded with 500 g/ml concentration of natural dye. The antifungal activity at this concentration is found almost at par with the positive control. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) of natural dye against test fungi were ranged within, 22.50-23.50 g/mL. Dyed silk, wool, and cotton fabrics also showed remarkable antifungal efficacy against all the test fungi. Dyed silk fabrics exhibited the maximum growth reduction followed by wool and cotton. The study revealed the remarkable antifungal activity of natural dye from B. prionitis aerial biomass and dyed fabrics. Therefore, B. prionitis can be considered as a potential source of natural dye with functional properties and can be used in the protective finishing of different kinds of textile fabrics.