Evaluation of antifungal activity of Pongamia Pinnata L on Saprolegnia parasitica isolated from cultured and wild Fishes

Abstract

The fungal pathogens associated with Saprolegniasis infection may raise afflicted patients' stress, aggravating the infection. This involves testing Pongamia pinnata L. extracts for antibacterial activity against Saprolegnia parasitica isolates from affected fish. P. pinnata L. extracts (aqueous, ethanol, and acetone) were tested for antifungal activity against various isolates from infected fish samples using the agar well diffusion technique. On Saprolegnia isolates, the ethanol leaf extract had the greatest growth inhibitory effect. The extracts outperformed the positive control, a conventional antibiotic (Amphotericin B). The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranged from 12.5 to 50.0 mg/ml for all extracts, while the minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC) ranged from 25 to 100mg/ml. Tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, steroids, cardiac glycoside, and saponin were found in all of the leaf extracts after phytochemical examination. This study shown that these extracts could be used to treat fungal pathogen infections.