Abstract

EXCELLENT STAINING OF MOULDS BY ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF HERITIERA LITTORALIS FLOWERS

Soumali Sadhukhan, Prianka Dikhar and Satadal Das*

ABSTRACT

Although many natural products have brilliant colours, but only a few of them have been exploited for preparation of different stains, creating an open scope to study in this neglected area. Thus in this study we used ethanolic extract of Heritiera littoralis flowers, as a staining agent for moulds. The study revealed that this novel staining agent not only stained the hyphae and conidiophores in light pink and coral pink colours respectively, but it also delineated all fungal body elements clearly with prominent borders. Thus this stain may be used as an alternative to lacto phenol cotton blue stain, which is presently used for staining fungal cultures.

Keywords: Heritiera littoralis flowers, colouring agent, moulds.