Antifungal efficacy of stingless bee honey extracts against a black mould causing pathogen Lasiodiplodia spp.

Abstract

Fungal species causing the black sooty mould were isolated from fruit peels and subjected to molecular genetic analysis. The nucleotide sequences were found to be 100% identical to the fungus Lasiodiplodia iranensis. Results from testing the antifungal properties of stingless bee honey extracts showed that the extract from the H. itama species exhibited the highest inhibitory effect, followed by T. pagdeni, G. thoracica, and T. fuscobalteata. The average inhibition values were 21.43+1.27, 18.54+1.50, 17.51+1.76, and 17.18+0.91 mm., respectively.