ANTIFUNGAL PROPERTY OF THE CRUDE EXTRACTS OF BRACHYSTEGIA EURYCOMA AND RICHARDIA BRASILIENSIS

Abstract

The antifungal properties of ethanol and water crude extracts of the bark of Brachystegia eurycoma and leaf of Richaria brasiliensis were analysed using disc diffisopm agar method. After 48 hours of incubation, all the four extracts at 2mg/ml inhibited the growth of Aspergillus flavus. Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans, Epidermophyton floccosium, Fusarium solani, Mucor mucedo, Microsporium audonii and Trichophyton verrucosum. The ethanol extract of Richardia brasiliensis was the most active of the four extrtacts. The water extract of Brachystegia eurycoma was more active than its ethanol extract, but the dreverse occurred with Richardia brasiliensis because the ethanol extract was more active than its water extract. Preliminary phytochemical studies of the plant extracts reveals that Richardia brasiliensis water extract contains mainly tannin while its ethanol extract possess antraquinone, flavonoid, pholbatannin, saponins and steroids. The water extract of Brachystegia eurycoma has tannin mainly while its ethanol extract has flavonoid and tannin. Alkaloid and terpenes were absent in the four plant extracts.


Key Words: Antifungal, Brachystegia eurycoma, Caesalphinaceae, Richardia brasiliensis, Ruboaceae, Tannin.


Nig. J. Nat Prod. And Med. Vol.4 2000: 70-72