European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

ANTIFUNGAL POTENTIALITIES OF COELOMIC FLUID OF LOCAL EARTHWORMS AGAINST ASPERGILLUS SPECIES

Sethulakshmi K. C.* and Ranilakshmi

ABSTRACT

The study aims to findout the antifungal potentialities of coelomic fluid of selected earthworms against eight pathogenic Aspergillus Sps using well diffusion methods. The Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus Aspergillus steyni, Aspergillus nidulans, Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus penicillioides, Aspergillus fumigates and Aspergillus ochraceus fungi were used as test organisms. The fungal strains were maintained on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar slant at 4°C. The coelomic fluid released due to cold shock and gets collected at the lower side of the petriplate. Antifungal activity of coelomic fluid was done by Well diffusion method. The P.corethrurus shows high antifungal activity against A.steyni (18mm), A.niger (14mm), A.terreus (9mm) and A.fumigates (8mm) simultaneously. The M. konkanensis shows high antifungal activity against A.steyni (20mm), follows A.niger (18mm), A.flavus (16mm) and A.terreus (16mm). The D.ghatensis shows high antifungal activity against A.terreus (20mm), A.flavus (11mm) and A.penicillioides (8mm). The M. konkanensis shows more antifungal activity against different fungus selected for the study. The antifungal activity was very less in D.ghatensis. The zone of inhibition is absent against A.ochraceus and A.nidulans in both the earthworms.

Keywords: Antifungal, Coelomic fluid, Earthworms and Aspergillus sps.