Phytochemical Analysis and Antifungal Activitis of Medicinal Plants

Present study deals with antifungal activity and phytochemical analysis of five medicinal plants: Justicia adhatoda, Moringa oleifera, Azadirachta indica, Withania somnifera, and Asparagus racemosus.. Qualitative phytochemical screening was conducted to identify major bioactive compounds such as alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, proteins, amino acids, phenols, and cardiac glycosides. Antifungal activity of the extracts was tested against three fungal pathogens: Aspergillus parasiticus, Rhizoctonia solani, and Fusarium oxysporum.. Phytochemical analysis indicated the presence of several bioactive compounds, particularly flavonoids and cardiac glycosides in most plant extracts. Among the tested plants, Azadirachta indica exhibited highest antifungal activity against Aspergillus parasiticus with a zone of inhibition of 0.8 cm, followed by Withania somnifera against Fusarium oxysporum (0.7 cm). The findings suggestd that these medicinal plants possess potential antifungal properties due to their phytochemical composition and may serve as natural alternatives for controlling fungal pathogens.