BIO-CONTROL OF CLINICAL FUNGAL ISOLATES ASSOCIATED WITH FUNGAL KERATITIS USING MEDICINAL PLANT EXTRACT

Most common causes of corneal ulcer is mycotic infestation, it damage cornea and iris. On the culture incidence of Penicillium sp. is high followed by Fusarium sp. , Microsporium sp. , Aspergillus sp. Plants are reservoir of biological active compounds to combat various pathogens, aqueous and methanolic extracts of four plants Thuja occidentalis, Catharanthus roseus, Withania sominifera, Lawsonia inermis were tested for their antifungal activity against fungal clinical isolates from fungal keratitis as Fusarium sp., Microsporium sp., Aspergillus sp. and Penicillium sp. Maximum inhibition was recorded by methanolic extracts in comparison to aqueous extracts. Methanolic extract of Thuja occidentalis (10% v/v) were found to be significantly inhibiting all clinical isolates as Fusarium sp. (89.05%), Microsporium sp. (72.22%), Aspergillus sp. (90.59%) and Penicillium sp. (90.0%) whereas, 10% methanolic extract of Lawsonia inermis showed mycelial inhibition of Microsporium sp. (81.33%) and Fusarium sp. (93.08%). Percent inhibition by Withania sominifera extract significantly reduces Fusarium sp (85.45%) and Microsporium sp. (89.6%) by10% Catharanthus roseus extract. It was recorded that Aspergillus flavus was only inhibited by methanolic extracts of Thuja occidentalis. Aqueous extracts could not significantly control the incidence of the test fungi but only 10% aqueous extract of Withania sominifera control Fusarium sp. (83.69%).