Irvingia wombolu fruit is an economically important but underutilized fruit in Nigeria. Only the seed kernel of the fruit is of economic value as food and income source to the people, while the fruit peel and pulp are wasted. This study determined the yield weight of the ethanol and aqueous extracts of dried fruit peel and pulp of I. wombolu and also evaluated their antifungal activities against Fusarium oxysporun f.sp. lycopersicum (a wilt causing pathogen in tomato) In-vitro at three levels of concentrations. The control experiments were sterile water and a synthetic fungicide. Each treatment and control was replicated thrice in a Complete Randomized Design. Data were taken of the radial mycelia growth of the pathogen at 24 hours interval for 96 hours. The results showed that the aqueous yield weights of the fruit peel and pulp extracts were higher than that of the ethanol extracts. All the extracts significantly reduce the radial mycelia growth of the pathogen at varied levels compared with the negative control (sterile water) especially as from 48 hours of incubation. Antifungal activities of ethanol extract of the fruit pulp at all concentrations were comparable with the synthetic fungicide used. Aqueous extracts of the fruit peel and pulp were as effective against the pathogen as the fungicide only at concentration. The antifungal property of the fruit peel and pulp of Irvingia wombolu should be exploited as a possible natural fungicide which is ecologically friendly and safe for use.

Keywords : Antifungal activity; extract yield weight; Irvingia wombolu; peel and pulp extracts; radial mycelial growth.