Antifungal Natural Products from Medicinal Plants of Pakistan

Authors: Atta RAHMAN, M. I. CHOUDHARY

Abstract: A number of diseases in humans, animals, insects and plants are caused by pathogenic fungi. Several fungi also produce toxins in foods and can cause poisoning. Antifungal compounds are therefore important both for controlling serious fungal diseases of animals and plants, and for preserving food and other organic materials against attack by fungi. Our work on antifungal phytochemicals of medicinal plants has resulted in the isolation of a number of interesting compounds. The agar diffusion method was used to determine the antifungal activity of the pure isolates and extracts against a number of highly pathogenic fungi. The structures of the antifungal principles were determined by using modern spectroscopic and/or X-ray diffraction techniques.

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