Antifungal activity of Syzygium cumini against Ascochyta rabiei-the cause of chickpea blight.

Aqueous, ethanol and n-hexane extracts from leaves, fruit, root-bark and stem-bark of Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels were tested for their antifungal activity against Ascochyta rabiei (Pass.) Lab., the cause of blight disease of the chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). Different concentrations, namely 1, 2, ..., 5% of both aqueous and the two organic solvent extracts were used in this study. Aqueous extracts of all the four test plant parts, namely leaves, fruit, stem-bark and root-bark, showed significant antifungal activity resulting in 7-30%, 22-59%, 23-39% and 21-64% reduction in fungal growth, respectively. Similarly, n-hexane stem-bark extract, and ethanol root- and stem-bark extracts also significantly suppressed the growth of target fungal species, resulting in 17-39%, 24-30% and 12-32% suppression in fungal growth.