Full Length Research Paper

Nutritional factors affecting the antifungal activity of Penicillium steckii of mangrove origin

Jyotsnamayee Sabat and Nibha Gupta*

Microbiology Laboratory, Division of Biotechnology, Regional Plant Resource Centre, Bhubaneswar 751 015 (Orissa) India.

*Corresponding  author. E-mail: nguc2003@yahoo.co.in. Tel: 91-0674-2557925.

Fax: 0674-2550274.

Accepted 12 November, 2009

   Abstract

A fungal strain namely, Penicillium steckii was obtained from saline environment of mangrove plant Avicennia marina and evaluated for antifungal activity in PDA against dieback pathogen of rose. Amendments at the level of different carbon and nitrogen source and their concentrations, inorganic and organic salts resultant into the development of new and modified medium of basal PDA under which our fungi exhibited enhanced level of antifungal activity. Achievement of this medium composition may be useful further in process development to elaborate the antagonistic active principle against plant pathogens.

Key words: Mangrove, avicennia, antifungal, penicillium, dieback, nutrient.