ANALYSIS OF ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY USING POWDERED CUTTLEBONE Sepia pharaonis EHRENBERG, 1831 AGAINST SELECTED PATHOGENS
M. BALASARASWATHI *
Department of Zoology, Sadakathullah Appa College (Autonomous), Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India.
M. I. DELIGHTA MANO JOYCE
PG Department of Zoology, Sadakathullah Appa College (Autonomous), Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India.
S. MOHAMED RAMLATH SABURA
Department of Zoology, Sadakathullah Appa College (Autonomous), Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India.
A. MUTHURAMAN
PG Department of Zoology, Sadakathullah Appa College (Autonomous), Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Sea food is regarded as a good source of animal protein since it had a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Cephalopods are considerably important a food resource as well as in scientific investigations. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the antifungal activity of methanolic extract of powdered cuttlebone of Sepia pharaonis against five fungal strains such as, Candida albicans, Aspergillus flavus, Mucor, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus fumigates using well diffusion method. The methanolic extract was active against Candida albicans, Mucor and Aspergillus fumigates at higher concentarion level and dormant against Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger. These results revealed that the methanolic extract of powdered cuttle bone possess relatively good antifungal activity.
Keywords: Cephalopods, Sepia pharaonis, cuttlebone, methanolic extract, fungal strains