STUDIES ON ANTIFUNGAL POTENTIAL OF BRYUM CELLULARE (A MOSS) CRUDE EXTRACTS AGAINST SPORE GERMINATION OF FUNGUS CURVULARIA LUNATA

Chemical protection plays a decisive role in the resistance of plants against various pathogens and their spore germination. The so-called secondary metabolites which are a characteristic feature of plants and are important to protect plants against a wide variety of microorganisms including fungi. In order to this, the present study was carried out to evaluate the antifungal potential of Bryum cellulare aqueous and ethanolic crude extracts against percentage inhibition of spore germination and hyphal length of test fungi Curvularia lunata, the causal organism of leaf spot of Zea mays. The preliminary tests showed that flavanoid, sterols and terpenoids etc are present in the test plant. Further various concentrations of crude extracts of aqueous and ethanolic form were tested against spore germination and hyphal length of C.lunata through hanging drop method. The results showed that all the extracts posses a significant antifungal potential but highest inhibition of percentage in spore germination was observed in ethanolic extract of B.cellulare. The percentage of spore germination was 60.43 and 15.20 in 10 and 100 per cent concentration of the extract respectively in comparison to control i.e. 110.46 per cent. In aqueous it was 85.13 and 33.26 in 10 and 100 per cent concentration in comparison to its respective control.