Abstract

The effect of the environment and microorganisms on the bio-deterioration of plants cannot be underestimated with respect to reduction in the nutrient constituents of the host plant. This study was aimed at investigating the effect of extracts obtained from selected plants having antimicrobial properties on the bio-deterioration of Chrysophylum africanum A. DC, (Sapotaceae). The fruit is indigenous to Southern Nigeria and is susceptible to biodeteriogens within 5 days of storage. Rotten and healthy fruits were obtained from Bodija and Oja-Oba markets in Ibadan, southwestern part of Nigeria. The plants used are Nauclea diderrichii, Treculia africana, Cassia fistula, Terminalia catappa, and Jatropha multifida. Decoctions from the plant leaves were obtained using distilled water and methanol and fungi were isolated from the rotten fruit samples of Chrysophylum africanum. The isolated fungi were cultured on sterile PDA plates containing different concentrations (15- 50%) of the leaf decoctions. The isolated fungi were Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus nigricans, and Aspergillus flavus. The percentage growth inhibition (PGI) of Aspergillus flavus showed that at 30% concentration, distilled water and methanol decoctions of Nauclea diderrichii and Cassia fistula has the same percentage growth inhibition (PGI). The PGI for Aspergillus niger ranged from 3.9 to 43.4%. The methanol extracts were observed to suppress the growth of the isolated fungi than the aqueous extracts. However, percentage growth inhibition of the respective aqueous and methanol extracts vary depending on the botanicals used for the extraction.