Antifungal Activities of Garcinia Kola Extracts On purulent Human Ocular Discharges in Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos

Abstract

Garcinia Kolanut is a natural fruit native to west Africa.
The medicine properties of its tree and the fruit are currently and vastly being studied.
Following the studies done on laboratory animals and in-vitro bacterial flora from hospital clinic patients\' eye, it become more obvious that these same extracts could also have antifungal activities. These form the bases for this study. Crude extract were obtained as in previous studies using two methods described by Irobi.

Fungal micro-organisms were obtained from swabs of corneal abscess scrapings and conjunctival discharges of the Guinness eye center clinic patients, sent to the microbiologists for microscopy, culture and sensitivities. Patients\' eyes were treated with orthodox known antifungal drugs. Fungal isolates from the swabbed eyes were studied for sensitivities and inhibitory effects of 5% extracts of Garcinia Kolanuts extracts in water and in methanol. Comparison study with other three antifungal drugs was done.
Studies show that Garcinia Kolanut extracts exhibited significant sensitivity and inhibitory activities against the fungal micro-organisms isolated from patients\' eyes in this study. The discovery of a drug useful and effective in the management of both bacterial and fungal infections will be a big breakthrough for ophthalmologists.


NQJHM Vol. 14 (1) 2004: pp. 112-114