Antifungal Activity of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles against the Fungal Pathogens Isolated from Arid Environment of Jodhpur

Abstract

Five plant pathogenic fungi were isolated from infected plants of groundnut, castor and cumin growing under arid environment. The isolates belonged to two fungal genera and were identified as Alternaria tenuissima (CZC-2), Alternaria alternata (CZCU-1), Fusarium equiseti (CZCU-2), Fusarium oxysporum (CZCU-4) and Fusarium solani (CZGN-9) based on ribosomal DNA sequencing. The effect of copper oxide nanoparticles on growth inhibition of these fungal pathogens was carried out in solid and liquid media. In the plate method A. tenuissima (CZC-2) showed the maximum diameter of colony growth in control plates in both the media, whereas the minimum diameter of colony growth was shown by Alternaria tenuissima CZC-2 and Fusarium solani CZGN-9 in the potato dextrose agar (PDA) and rose bengal agar (RBA) supplemented with 500 ppm of copper oxide nanoparticles (CNP), respectively. In the plate method the maximum inhibition of 68.8 % was reported against A. tenuissima CZC-2 in plates supplemented with 500 ppm of copper nanoparticles. Whereas in liquid medium there was complete growth inhibition of A. tenuissima CZC-2 and F. oxysporum CZCU-4 at 250 ppm concentration of copper oxide nanoparticles.