SEARCH FOR ANTIFUNGAL COMPOUNDS FROM SOME VERBASCUM SPECIES GROWING IN TURKEY

İ. İrem TATLI*,o, Zeliha Ş. AKDEMİR*, Erdal BEDİR**,***, Ikhlas A. KHAN**

* Hacettepe University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy, 06100 Sıhhiye, Ankara, TURKEY.
** National Center for Natural Products Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, USA
*** Ege University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Bioengineering, 35100 Bornova, İzmir, TURKEY.
oCorresponding Author e-mail: itatli@hacettepe.edu.tr

Summary :
Turkish medicinal plants provide a rich source of biologically-active natural products. With the use ofsimple bioassays, it is possible to evaluate the bioactivity of the natural compounds. Antifungal screening of 16 compounds in a matrix format from two Verbascum species growing in Turkey was conducted directly on thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) plates sprayed with a spore suspension. Compounds possessing strong antifungal activity produced a ckar zone of inhibition bounded by a sharp margin regardless of the size of the inhibitory zone. lhvensisaponin A and C from Verbascum pterocalycinum var. Mutense Hub.-Mor. werefound to beactive. Bioautographic assay indicated that the saponins appeared to be the most effective against Colletotrichum acutatum, C. fragariae and C. Gloeosporioides.

Keywords :
Medicinal plants, Verbascum lasianthum, Verbas¬cum pterocalycinum var. mutense, Scrophulari-aceae, Bioactive Compounds, Saponins, Ihvensi-saponin A, Ilwensisaponin C, Antifungal