Mycological analyses of some of the pharmaceutically important crude herbs

Abstract

In this study fungal flora of Folium Salviae trilobae (Anatolian sage leaf), Flos tiliae (linden flower) and Folium menthae piperitae (Mint) which are medically important herbs and used for infusions, were investigated. The fungal flora of crude herbs was compared with that of the infusions prepared from the same herbs and the inhibitory effect of infusion process on the mold flora was recorded. Totally 122 mould strains distributed in 27 species were isolated. Eighty one strains (33.6%) survived in infusions. Air the major storage fungi namely Penicillium spp.; Aspergillus chevalieri, A. repens from A. glaucus group; A. flavus from A. flavus group and A. candidus were found alive in infusions crude herbs.