ANTIFUNGAL SCREENING OF GARLIC CLOVE EXTRACT AGAINST FUNGI CAUSING SPOILAGE IN OGBONO SEED (Irvingia gabonensis)

Ogbono (Irvingia gabonensis) is a commercial and indigenous fruit tree of west and central Africa commonly known as African manago or wild manago .Garlic (Allium sativum) which is also used in this study  has been used for centuries as a food supplement and has been well documented for its  medicinal properties  in traditional and conventional medicine. This study was carried out in Awka metropolis Anambra State Nigeria. Isolation olate and identification of fungi associated with the deterioration of Ogbono seed  and the inhibition of those fungi isolated growth using garlic cloves extract as an antifungal. Spoilt Ogbono seeds (samples) were purchased from five selected Market Centers in Awka metropolis, and transported immediately to Alpha research laboratory Awka including garlic cloves for analysis. A crude  plant extraction process was carried out on the garlic cloves under optimum operating conditions to obtain the active compound (garlic extract). Each of the spoilt Ogbono seed was cut and washed and the content inoculated on Potato Dextrose Agar and Sabouraud Dextrose Agar respectively and incubated at  28oc and observed for three days after which , the different colonies obtained were identified using the slide culture technique. The fungal analysis shows that Aspergillus spp, Mucor spp, Fusarium spp and Penicillium spp are associated with  the spoilt of Ogbono seed with frequencies of occurrence of 37.50%, 25%,12.50% and 25% respectively. The antifungal activity of garlic seed extracts was determined on all fungi isolate. From the results it is clear that the antifungal activity in inhibiting fungi growth increases as the amount (concentration) of garlic extract increased. From the obtained fungi isolate, Aspergillus spp, Mucor spp, Fusarium spp, Penicillium spp at 5.00mg/ml, the zone of inhibition   were 12.333, 25.000, 17.338, and 0.000 respectively. No effects on the inhibition of Penicillium Spp growth were observed. It can be concluded from the study that   garlic extract showed antifungal activity against the tested fungi organism and it’s suitable in inhibiting growth of fungi in spoilt Ogbono seed.