Antifungal Potential of Marine Sponge Extract against Plant and Fish Pathogenic Fungi

Emerging diseases caused by increasing number of virulent fungal infection in natural populations cause threat to plants, animals and humans. Fungal invasive plant diseases cause preharvest loss to fruit and cash crops causing tremendous loss to the crop production and agricultural output in natural habitats. It is reported that more than 600 million people could be fed each year by halting the spread of fungal diseases in the world’s five most important cropsAquaculture has also been a growing activity for more than 2 decades worldwide and fungalinfections (mycoses) are amongst the common diseases in hatchery and aquaculture systems leading to the demise of fish population resulting in great economic loss. 

Fortunately, in most fungal infection, since only the external tissue of fish and eggs are involved a good antibiotic agent can solve most of the major fungal infections. Considering the importance of ecofriendly health management in agriculture/aquaculture and concern about the contamination, toxicological and environmental risks posed by synthetic fungicides has led to an increase in the popularity of developing natural products as a source of ecofriendly compounds possessing antifungal activity. In addition, the evolving resistance of microorganisms to existing antibiotics is an important issue, not only in human research but also in agriculture and aquaculture. Hence, replacement of existing antibiotics with more effective and safer ones has become an important topic to address. Read more.............