Antioxidant Activity of Lichen Parmotrema austrosinense and its Antimicrobial Effect on Selected Plant Pathogens

Abstract

Parmotrema austrosinense (Zahlbr.) Hale is one of the lichens used as spices and also it has medicinal property. The goal of this investigation was to assess the antioxidant, reducing power, free radical scavenging and antiphyto pathogenic effect of P. austrosinense. Lichen sample was extracted with different solvents - benzene, methanol, chloroform and acetone. The benzene extract showed a strong antioxidant activity (5.665±0.0065) followed by chloroform extract (3.648±0.0029), acetone extract (2.770±0.0078) and methanol extract (2.430± 0.0046). The methanolic extract of lichen showed the highest reducing power followed by the acetone and nonpolar solvents like chloroform and benzene. Among the four solvents chosen, methanol extract of lichen showed the highest free radical scavenging activity followed by acetone, chloroform and benzene. The antimicrobial activity of non-polar solvents like chloroform and benzene extract showed highest antimicrobial activity against three tested fungi (Fusarium oxysporum, Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotium rolfsii) and bacterial plant pathogens(Bacillus sp.,Xanthomonas phaseoli and Erwinia chrysanthemi) followed by methanol and acetone extracts and streptomycin was used as the control antibiotic.