ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITIES OF A PASTURE HONEY AND GINGER ( ZIGINBER OFFICINALE ) EXTRACTS ON SOME PATHOGENIC FUNGI

Methanol, ethanol, ginger extracts and a pasture honey were tested on Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Trichoderma viride and Candida albicans using the well-in-agar method. The antifungal sensitivity assay indicated that the chemical solvent extracts of ginger, pasture honey and mixtures of honey and ginger extracts exerted inhibitory zones on the test fungi species except A. Fumigatus. However, the pasture honey displayed higher inhibitory values of 45 mm than the mixtures of honey and ethanol extract of ginger and honey and methanol extract of ginger with 40 mm and 30 mm inhibitory zones respectively. The phytochemicals present in honey were saponin and cardiac glycoside, while in the ginger sample, saponin, phlobatannin, alkaloids, flavonoids and cardiac glycoside were present. Summarily, honey and ginger extracts displayed the highest inhibitory activity on all the tested fungal isolates compared to the employed positive control antifungal (Griseofulvin and Ketoconazole).