title: Promising antifungal effect of some Euro-Asiatic plants against dangerous pathogenic and toxinogenic fungi.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increasing evidence of fungicide-resistant toxinogenic and pathogenic fungal species is obvious. Looking for new possibilities of antifungal treatment or sources of antifungal substances is a major problem. Some medicinal plants exert strong antifungal properties and could be conveniently used as a promising alternative source for presently problematic antifungal treatment in many areas with respect to their natural origin. Methanol extracts of 46 medicinal plants from the Eurasian area were used in a screening assay for antifungal activity in this study. The growth inhibitory effect was tested against six significant pathogenic and toxinogenic fungal species: Fusarium oxysporum, F. verticillioides, Penicillium expansum, P. brevicompactum, Aspergillus flavus and A. fumigatus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For 14 plant species, the possibility of using them as natural fungicides was indicated. The extract from Grindelia camporum showed significant activity against all target fungal species. The most sensitive target fungus was the toxinogenic and human pathogenic species A. fumigatus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study has identified 14 extracts of medicinal plants with a potential use as an antifungal treatment in various areas. One of them showed promising efficiency against all selected significant pathogenic and toxinogenic fungal species.
authors.affiliation: Crop Research Institute, Drnovská 507, 161 06, Praha 6 Ruzyne, Czech Republic. mzabka@centrum.cz
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zabka
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pavela
authors.forename: Ludmila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gabrielova-Slezakova
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001208:Asia; D005060:Europe; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts