Antifungal activities of sea-weed Ulva lactuca ethanol extract against Penicillium and Rhizopus species

¹ Research Scholar of Sharda University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh - 201310, India
² Professor, Sharda University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh - 201310, India

^* Correspondence author: susha2517@gmail.com

Abstract

The worldwide food supply is greatly impacted by food-borne pathogenic fungi, which are responsible for postharvest decay of fresh horticultural produce. The postharvest losses caused by these fungi not only reduce the quality and quantity of the produce but also lead to huge financial losses. The possibility of using the extract of green algae Ulva lactuca as a natural postharvest fungicide to control the growth of these fungi is examined in this work. The biological activity of the ethanolic extract of this seaweed, commonly known as sea lettuce, was in vitro evaluated against the growth of Penicillium aurantiogriseum, Rizopus stolonifera, and Penicillium glabrum. The study demonstrated the concentration-dependent antifungal activity of U. lactuca extract, particularly against R. stolonifera. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 100 μL/mL was observed for all the tested pathogens. These results suggest that the ethanoic extract of U. lactuca could be an effective natural fungicide, with potential applications in food preservation and other industries where fungal contamination is a concern. It has possibility also in managing fungal diseases in organic farming and sustainable agricultural practices.