Evaluation of Antimycotic Activity of Crude Methanolic Extract of Mitrocarpus scaber on Candida albican and Trichophyton mentagrophytes

Abstract

Mitrocarpus Scaber is a local herb traditionally used for the treatment of eczema, ringworm and other skin disorders. Dry crude methanolic leaf extract was obtained, weighed and dissolved in double distilled deionized water giving a concentration of 20mg/ml solution. Standardized solution of Nystatin and Griseofulvin were prepared from commercial tablets and used as standard controls. Sterilized Sabauroud’s dextrose agar contained in universal bottles containing chloramphenicol were divided into groups of 5 in which variable numbers of drops (0.05ml) of the test drug (Griseofulvin, Nystatin and Mitrocarpus scaber) were made before the bottles were thoroughly mixed and slanted. Purified identified culture of Candida albicans and Trichophyton mentagraphytes were obtained and used as test cultures. Each of the test agar slants were inoculated with Trichophyton. mentagraphtes in one group and Candida albicans in the other. The bottles were incubated at 370C for three to four days before observing them for growth of the inoculated organisms. No growth in the test bottles was considered as positive inhibition. The experiment was replicated three times and results were recorded. The results indicated that Mitrocarpus extract inhibited the growth of both Trichophyton mentragraphytes and Candida albicans at the agar concentration of 4mg/ml. nystatin was inhibitory to T. mentagraphytes at 7mg/ml and Candida albicans at 1mg/ml but did not inhibit the growth of Candida albicans. It is suggested that further research into the fungistatic effect of Mitrocarpus scaber to be carried out to explore its values in developing drugs for treating both human and veterinary dermatomycosis