In vitro antifungal activity of Schizozygia coffaeoides Bail. (Apocynaceae) extracts

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Abstract

Leaf extracts of Schizozygia coffaeoides were investigated for antifungal activity using the disc diffusion assay technique. Petroleum ether 40–60°C, dichloromethane–ethyl acetate (1:1) and methanol extracts were fungitoxic to Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Microsporum gypseum, Cladosporium cucumerinum and Candida albicans. The extracts were fungistatic in action.

Introduction

The use of medicinal herbs in the treatment of infections is a age-old practice. In Kenya several species are used by many ethnic groups for treatment of various ailments raging from minor infections to dysentery, skin diseases, asthma, malaria and a horde of others. Schizozygia coffaeoides is one of the plants used in Kenya for treatment of various infections. Extracts from the leaves made in water are used for washing ringworm-infected skin, inflamed eyes are treated by exposing them to steam from boiled leaves and an extract of the roots mixed with coconut oil is used as medicine for sores on the skin (Omino and Kokwaro, 1993, Beentje, 1994). This study was carried out to establish the claimed therapeutic efficacy of S. coffaeoides against skin diseases caused by fungi.

Section snippets

Plant material

The leaves of S. coffaeoides were collected from Simba Hills, Kenya in 1996. The same were authenticated by Mr S. Mathenge of Botany Department, University of Nairobi and a voucher specimen (RKariba 22) deposited at the herbarium of the University of Nairobi, Kenya.

Microorganisms

Three human fungal pathogens and one phytopathogenic fungus were used in the susceptibility assays. The human pathogens were Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Microsporum gypseum and Candida albicans (clinical isolates from Infectious

Results

Results in Table 1. The petroleum ether 40–60°C, dichloromethane–ethyl acetate (1:1) and methanol extracts from S. coffaeoides produced measurable antifungal activity against the test fungi at concentrations of 40 mg/ml. Dichloromethane–ethyl acetate (1:1) extracts produced larger inhibition zones than the other extracts and had lower MIC values raging from 0.3 to 1.25 mg/ml (Table 2). Mycelial plugs taken from the zones of inhibition were found to revive their growth after re-incubation into

Discussions and conclusions

This study shows that petroleum ether, dichloromethane and methanol extracts from S. coffaeoides posses antifungal activity against the tested pathogens (Table 1). The dermatophytic fungi (T. mentagrophytes and M. gypseum appeared to be quite susceptible to the antifungal effects of the extracts as shown by the large zones of inhibition (22–42 mm) and lower MIC (0.3125–1.25 mg/ml). This observation is of particular interest since the local people in Kenya use this plant against ringworm, the

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the German Academic Exchange service (DAAD) for awarding a fellowship to R. Kariba, that was used to carry out this research. The technical and field assistance of Mr S. Mathenge, P. Mutiso and D. Laur is gratefully acknowledged.

References (8)

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