In vitro Antifungal Efficacies of Ethyl Acetate Fractions of Mitracarpus villosus from Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: The use of medicinal plants in the treatment of diseases is as old as man. The development of synthetic (orthodox) drugs led to a decline in the use of herbs however in the past few decades, there has been an increase in the use of medicinal plants, especially in developing countries. Several reports have shown that herbal medicines are well tolerated when compared with synthetic drugs. Over eighty percent of the population in Africa, most especially West Africa, has been reported to depend on medicinal plants for the treatment of infections and diseases. Aims: The main objective of this study is to assess the anti-fungal potentials of the ethyl acetate extract and fractions of the aerial parts of Mitracarpus villosus (Sw.) DC from Abuja, Nigeria. Methods: The powdered plant was extracted successively and exhaustively with hexane, ethyl acetate, ethanol and water. Thirty fractions were obtained from the extract using the bioassay-guided fractionation by means of column chromathographic technique. Antifungal activities of the ethyl acetate extract and fractions of M. villosus against clinical isolates of Candida albicans, Candida krusei, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton verrucosum, Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus niger were investigated using agar diffusion and micro broth dilution methods. Results: All the fractions showed good antifungal activity against test fungi. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the extract and fractions ranged between 250 - 4000 µg / ml while the minimum fungicidal concentration of the ethyl acetate extract and fractions against the test organisms were found to fall between 500 – 16000 µg / ml. Conclusion: The plant promises to hold good potentials for development of novel antifungal drug.