Abstract
Nerium oleander L. belonging to Apocynaceae family was screened for antifungal activity against three economically important fungi Macrophomina phaseolina, Sclerotium rolfsii and Fusarium oxysporum,. Leaves stem and root extracts in aqueous, methanol, ethanol, choloroform and acetone were prepared and were evaluated for their in vitro antifungal ability. All the parts of the plant displayed variable results for the three fungi. In case of M. phaseolina roots have proved to be the most effective one in reducing the growth of the fungus. Chloroform root extract has reduced the growth of the fungi to its maximum, 2.03 followed by acetone root extract respectively. Leaves chloroform extract displayed the best antifungal activity thus giving a colony diameter of 1.43 in S.rolfsii followed by methanol, acetone, and ethanol leaves extracts. In F. oxysporum trend has entirely changed, shoot induced the maximum effect as the diameter of the fungal colony was 0.37 in acetone; this trend was followed by chloroform and ethanol shoot extracts respectively. The consequences of using the N.oleander extracts in controlling F. oxysporum, S. rolfsii and M. phaseolina are discussed.