Materials and Biocontrol of Mycoflora by Medicinal Plant Extracts

Mycotoxins are known to produce adverse effects in poultry. The presence of mycotoxins in poultry feeds may decrease feed intake and affect animal performance. The present investigation was undertaken to find the fungal population and mycotoxin level in different samples of poultry raw feed materials such as, sorghum, maize, layer mash, soyabean and rape seed meal samples followed by inhibition of the isolated fungal flora using two plant extracts viz., Acalypha indica, Tridax procumbens by well diffusion method. From 20 poultry raw feed samples, the isolated species of fungi belong to the genus, Aspergillus sp, Penicillium sp, Rhizopus sp, Fusarium sp, Mucor sp, Cladosporium sp, Curvularia sp and Trichoderma viride. Aflatoxins B1 and B2 were detected in 12 samples and their levels ranged between 6.3±0.34 and 199.3±0.66. Cold water extracts of Acalypha indica showed the efficient inhibition (100%) against Trichoderma viride, Aspergillus niger whereas Tridax procumbens plant extracts showed highest zone of inhibition (37.8 mm) against Fusarium sp while the other isolated fungal isolats showed varied zones of inhibition.