Evaluation of Antifungal Activities of the Crude Leaf Extracts of Mitracarpus vilosus

Abstract

The antifungal activities of fractions of the leaf extract of Mitracarpus vilosus were evaluated in comparison with some standard antifungal drugs (ketoconazole, clotrimazole, fluconazole, nystatin and tioconazole), against certain isolates of moulds and yeasts. Air-dried pulverized leaves of Mitracarpus vilosus (500 g) were extracted successively with methanol, chloroform and ethyl acetate, using the cold maceration method. The susceptibilities of solutions of the fractions in DMSO (well diluted with sterile distilled water), as well as the standard antibiotics, to some fungal isolates were tested using agar broth dilution method. Subsequently, the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined using the agar broth dilution method. Their synergism were determined using the Checker-board method. All the fractions and their combinations with standard drugs showed significant antifungal activities against the fungal and yeast isolates used, with the chloroform fraction being the most active against majority of the organisms. The IZDs against A. niger were 15, 35, 27, and 9 mm for the methanolic extract, chloroform, methanolic and ethyl acetate fractions, respectively. The MICs obtained for the chloroform fraction were: 1.56, 6.25, 3.13, 6.25, 1.56, 3.13 and 1.56 mg/ml for the A. niger, Penicillium spp, M. furfur, A. fumigatus, C. albicans 1, 2 and 3 isolates, respectively. At FIC index of 0.21, the combination of the chloroform fraction with ketoconazole (at a ratio 9:1) against Penicillium spp, the highest synergism of all the combinations was observed. However, ketoconazole alone showed the highest activity against A. niger, Penicillum spp., A. fumigatus and all the candida isolates compared to the extracts/fractions, while clotrimazole was the most active against M. fufur. Based on this study, crude extract and fractions of M. vilosus leaves, especially the chloroform fraction, can be used alone or in combination with some standard antifungal drugs for the treatment of superficial mycosis and candidiasis caused by susceptible species of these organisms.