APPLICATION OF METHANOLIC EXTRACTS FROM HISBISCUS SABDARIFFA LINN AS A BIOLOGICAL STAINING AGENT FOR SOME FUNGAL SPECIES

Abstract

The efficacy of methanolic extracts from Hibiscus sabdariffa, an indigenous herbaceous plant species for use as staining agent on three fungal species is reported in this paper. Apergillus niger, Rhizopus stolonifer and Penicillium notatum were stained using methanolic extracts from H. sabdariffa with the pH value of 2.7 which was mordanted with potassium alum and acidified with 65% acetic acid. These were compared microscopically with preparations using Lactophenol-in-cotton blue with a pH value of 3.6. H. sabdariffa preparations gave a more contrasted appearance as against preparations involving Lactophenol-in-cotton blue stain. The absorbance was determined at different wavelengths ranging from 400-640nm in which the absorbance of the extracts showed higher values than that of Lactophenol-in-cotton blue stain. Although, absorbance values were strongly correlated (r=0.776) the correlation was not significant at (df=5, p=0.01, r=0.875). The analysis of H. sabdariffa tissues used for the extracts indicated that moisture content was rather low (30.76%). The results of this study suggest that methanolic extracts from H. sabdariffa could be used as a mycological stain.