Value Added Producaiton of Biocide for Grain storage Fungi Using Citrus Species Waste and their Rapd Profiling

Abstract

Citrus industry is the third major fruit industry in India after mango and banana. Processing of these fruits results in tonnes of waste (mainly peels) every year. These peels initially considered as a waste have now been proved to be highly nutritious and are being transformed into various value added products of commercial importance. One of the major value added product obtained is citrus oil that has been found to be useful in treating health ailments and in controlling insect pest and tnicroorganisms (Bacteria and fungi).The present study was undertaken keeping the biocidal activity of citrus peels in mind and assessing their potential as antifungal agent against some grain storage fungi and also to study the genetic diversity existing among citrus members. Peels of kinnoo, orange, lime and grapefruit were used for the preparation of ethanolic extracts and were subjected to a preliminary phytochemical analysis. Fungi were isolated frotn five different varieties of rice and wheat each and were identified. Once the pure cultures of R.stolonifer, A.alternata and F. so/ani were obtained, inhibitory effect of citrus peel extracts were tested on these cultures using Poisoned Food Technique and Volatile Activity Assay. All the extracts showed antifungal activity with the variation in their inhibition potential and the most effective concentration was found to be 1 ml/1 00 ml PDA. Genetic diversity existing an1ong six citrus varieties was also studied using 10 randotn pri1ners. The RAPD analysis \vas done using NTSYS -pc software that generated a similarity tnatrix on the basis of 'Yvhich a dendrogran1 \\as prepared. On the analysis of the dendrogratn .. it was found that the varieties used to study genetic diversity could be clustered into two clusters one being of C.lin1on and the other including the rest of the varieties. The results obtained points toward the antifungal nature of these extracts and provide an insight that these extracts can be exploited for developing an effective biocide which will be~ in harmony with nature.