Abstract
Alkali cations and monovalent inorganic anions were examined for their growth-inhibitory effect on fungi, and antagonism in this effect among different alkali cations was also investigated, using seven species of fungi. The magnitudes of their antifungal effects were in the following order: for cations, K+<Na+≅Rb+<Li+ <Cs+; and for anions, Cl-NO3-≅ <Br- <I-≅ClO4-≅SCN- <F-. The growth-inhibitory effect of LiCl on most of the fungi employed was fairly well reversed by KCland RbCl. CsCl, the most toxic among the alkali chlorides investigated, also considerably antagonized at lower concentrations the growth inhibition by LiCl of some of the fungi. NaCl had the least effect in this respect. The growth inhibition by CsCl of most of the fungi was almost completely reversed by KCl. RbCl and NaCl also antagonized CsCl in some of the fungi, but they were much less effective than KCl. LiCl had the least, if any, effect in this regard. The growth inhibition by NaCl, KClor RbCl was reversed by the other alkali chlorides partially or not at all depending upon the fungi.
