Abstract

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Several fungi have created havoc in the poultry industry and some of them cause direct harm to human health owing to their zoonotic implications. This research evaluated the phytochemical constituents and antimicrobial activity of Methanol extracts of Ocimum gratissimum (scent leaf) and Azadirachta indica (Neem leaf) against fungi strains isolated from poultry droppings and comparing them with commercial antifungal drugs. A total of 150 samples were collected from thirty different poultry farms in Owerri, Imo State using sterile spatula. Spread plate method was used to inoculate 0.1ml(using 10 2 dillution factor) of the samples unto Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) and Saboraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) to which chloramphenicol (0.05 mg/ml) has been incorporated for primary isolation of fungi. The fungi were identified using cultural characteristics, microscopy and molecular analysis(using ITS region sequencing). Agar well diffusion method was used to test the antifungal activity of the plant extract after 48 and 72 hours time intervals. The Mean Diameter Zone Of Inhibition ranged from 7.50±0.00 12.30±1.53(after 48 hours) and 7.90±1.00-13.50±0.00(after 72 hours) for Neem leave and 6.00±1.00 10.00±0.00(after 48 hours) and 6.80±0.00 -10.50±1.00(after 72 hours) for Scent leave. Tube dilution technique using double-fold serial dilution method was employed for assaying Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC).Total fungal counts ranged from 1.46×102 to 5.43×102.The study revealed that the extracts of the two plants showed a stronger inhibitory property against the isolates. This efficacy of the leave extracts of Ocimum gratissimum and Azadirachta indica as compared to synthetic antifungal shows promising results to be used as potent natural occurring antifungal agents.

Keywords: Antifungal, Inhibition, phytochemical, Plant Extract, Microscopy.