Biological activity of ethanolic extract from a new local isolate of Morchella rufobrunnea against some fungal pathogens

Ashwaq Talip Mohammed, Waleed Khalid Ahmed, Awf A. Ahmed Al-Jbory

Abstract


Mushrooms are increasingly recognized as valuable sources of bioactive compounds with potential applications in agriculture and medicine. Among them, Morchella rufobrunnea has gained attention for its antimicrobial and antifungal properties. However, reports of its occurrence and biological activity remain limited in many regions, including Iraq. The present study aimed to identify M. rufobrunnea isolates collected from Iraq using molecular tools and to evaluate their antifungal potential against major phytopathogenic fungi. Molecular identification was performed by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of DNA. PCR amplification yielded products of approximately 550 bp, and phylogenetic analysis confirmed the specimens as M. rufobrunnea. Sequence alignment revealed 99% similarity with reference sequences in the NCBI database, specifically matching accession number OQ808797.1. This represents the first confirmed report of M. rufobrunnea in Iraq, expanding its known geographical distribution. The antifungal activity of ethanolic extracts of M. rufobrunnea was evaluated against Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium oxysporum, F. graminearum, Alternaria alternata, and Sclerotium rolfsii. A concentration-dependent inhibitory effect was observed, with inhibition indices ranging from 24.70% to 55.03%. The highest antifungal activity was recorded at 1000 mg/100 ml, where F. graminearum showed maximum susceptibility (55.03%), while R. solani exhibited the lowest inhibition (36.93%). Statistical analysis confirmed significant differences among treatments (LSD₀.₀₅ = 3.79-6.51). These findings highlight both the taxonomic significance and the biocontrol potential of M. rufobrunnea. Its strong antifungal activity suggests promising applications in sustainable plant disease management.

Keywords


Morchella rufobrunnea, Ethanolic extract, Antifungal activity, Phytopathogenic fungi, Molecular diagnosis

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.33804/pp.009.03.5740

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