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IN VITRO NEMATICIDAL ACTIVITIES OF SEAWEED EXTRACTS FROM KARACHI COAST

MUHAMMAD AFZAL RIZVI ¹ AND MUSTAFA SHAMEEL ²

Abstract: Twenty two species of seaweeds viz., Asparagopsis taxiformis, Botryocladia leptopoda, Caulerpa racemosa, Caulerpa scalpelliformis, Caulerpa taxifolia, Codium iyengarii, Cystoclonium purpureum, Cystoseira indica, Dermonema abbottiae, Dictyota dichotoma var. intricata, Gelidium usmanghanii, Gracilaria foliifera, Gracilaria gracilis, Iyengaria stellata, Jolyna laminariodes, Melanothamnus afaqhusainii, Padina antillarum, Sargassum tenerrimum, Spatoglossum variabile, Stoechospermum polypodioidis were collected from the coastal areas (Manora, Buleji, Paradise Point) of Karachi, Pakistan. Methanol extracts of the seaweeds were tested for nematicidal activity against the larvae of Meloidogyne javanica root knot nematode. Stoechospermum polypodioides appeared to be the most active seaweed as it caused 80 % mortality of the nematode larvae after 72 h exposure to its extract. Jolyna laminarioides was found to be least active in its nematicidal activity since it caused only 21 % mortality after the exposure of 48 as well as 72 h of its extract. Three species of Caulerpa and 2 of Gracilaria presented specific differences regarding their nematicidal activities.
 

Pakistan Science Foundation, Islamabad.
¹ HIASR, Hamdard University, Madinat al-Hikmah, Karachi-74600,
² Department of Botany, University of Karachi-75270, Pakistan.