DEVELOPMENT OF AN ANTIFUNGAL BIOPREPARATION BASED ON AZOLLA CAROLINIANA AND EVALUATION OF ITS EFFICACY
Keywords:
Keywords: Azolla caroliniana; antifungal biopreparation; Geotrichum candidum; methanolic extract; natural antifungal agents; phytochemicals; bioformulationAbstract
Abstract. Azolla caroliniana is a rapidly renewable aquatic fern with a
permanent symbiosis with the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Anabaena azollae. Its
biomass contains phenolics, flavonoids, pigments, lipids, tannins and other secondary
metabolites that are relevant to antimicrobial and antioxidant performance. The aim of
this study was to develop a literature-guided IMRAD manuscript that proposes a
practical antifungal biopreparation based on A. caroliniana and defines a realistic
efficacy-evaluation framework for laboratory validation. A comparative analysis of
recent and foundational studies was used to identify the most promising extraction
route, the most responsive target microorganisms, and the main quality indicators for
product standardization. Published evidence indicates that methanolic extracts of A.
caroliniana show the strongest documented activity against Geotrichum candidum,
with a mean inhibition zone of 15 mm and a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)
of 312.5 µg/mL, while activity against Enterococcus faecalis is moderate and Candida
albicans remains largely insensitive in crude systems. Nutrient-starvation studies also
show that phenolics, flavonoids and anthocyanins increase under controlled stress,
suggesting that cultivation strategy can be used to improve raw-material bioactivity
before extraction. Based on the synthesized evidence, the proposed biopreparation
workflow includes biomass cultivation, low-temperature drying, solvent screening,
activity-guided fraction selection, formulation into a stabilized liquid or wettable
powder, and evaluation by agar diffusion, MIC determination, phytochemical
profiling, stability testing and preliminary cytotoxicity. The article concludes that A.
caroliniana is a promising but still under-optimized source of antifungal metabolites.
The best near-term application is a species-specific biopreparation developed from
medium-polar extracts and standardized against G. candidum. Further research should
expand the fungal test panel, identify marker compounds, and establish safety and
storage limits for real agricultural and food-protection use.
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