Potentials Of Alkaloids From Panicum Maximum Florets Infected With The Fungus Tilletia Ayresii In Controlling Uterine Contraction In Spraguedawley Rats

ABSTRACT

The potential of alkaloids from Panicum maximum floret infected with the fungus Tilletia ayresii in the control of uterine contraction in Sprague-Dawley rats was investigated using bioassay guided fractionation technique. Disease incidence study revealed that smut disease was significantly higher in Ikorodu site (95.00%) when compared with Akoka site (69.00%) and Isolo site (72.00%). The height of disease incidence was between the months of August and November. Thirteen species of fungi were identified as fungi associated with smutted florets and out of these, Aspergillus niger, A. fumigatus and Tilletia ayresii occurred most frequently (100%), A. flavus (80%) while others such as A. wentii, Trichoderma sp.., Mucor sp., Penicillium pinophyllum, Fusarium sp., F. fujikuroii recorded 40%. Syncepalastrum racemosa, Curvularia lunata and Paeciliomyces sp. were least frequent (20%). Only T. ayresii was pathogenic and five spore types were isolated from T. ayresii (Basidiospores, ‘Y- shaped conidia, blastic conidia, ballistospores, and teliospores). The genus and species of Fusarium sp. and F. fujikuroii were further confirmed by DNA sequencing. Growth studies of the fungal isolates on six solid and three broth media showed that the best media for their cultivation are potato dextrose agar, potato dextrose broth and malt extract agar. Ethnobotanical studies of crude aqueous, ethanol and chloroform extract of infected Panicum maximum florets, produced dose-dependent contraction of uterine smooth muscle of non-pregnant rat with ethanol extract being more potent than others. However, the healthy P. maximum floret extracts (aqueous, ethanol, and chloroform) produced relaxation effects. Infected ethanol fraction produced a similar pattern of contraction with ergometrine (standard) stimulated uterine muscle. The ethanol fractions spotted on Thin Layer Chromatography plates revealed three compounds under UV light (366nm) with Rf values of 0.20 (zone A), 0.30 (zone B) and 0.90 (zone C) respectively. Further fractionation and bioassay of the three compounds showed that the compounds in zone A with Rf value of 0.20 was active while the others were not. Effect of ethanol and chloroform extracts of infected Panicum maximum florets on six fungal isolates showed that they inhibited the growth of all the fungal isolates except Tilletia ayresii at varying concentrations.