Mineral constituents and antimicrobial potential of extracts of <i>Ajuga iva</i> L. collected from different geographical locations in Morocco

Abstract

Fungal infections are a serious health concern that poses a danger to global healthcare systems. The innate resistance of fungi to chemical agents has made researchers investigate natural sources with bioactive contents against a wide spectrum of pathogenic microbes. The present study aimed to explore the variability of the mineral profile, as well as the antifungal effect of different extracts of Ajuga iva L. collected from different geographical locations in Morocco. Different extracts (aqueous, ethanol, and methanol) were prepared from Ajuga iva samples using the maceration technique. The mineral profile of the extracts was determined using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). Eight pathogenic fungi were used to determine the antifungal effect of different extracts of Ajuga iva using agar disc diffusion method. The results showed high variability in the mineral profile according to geographical origin with the abundance of Na (between 160.52 and 192.40 mg/L), K (between 10.52 and 41.41 mg/mL), Ca (between 32.07 and 58.76 mg/L), Mg (between 4.16 and 8.42 mg/L), and P (between 1.69 and 10.54 mg/L). All the test extracts exhibited considerable antifungal effects against all fungi except Cryptococcus. The findings of the present study confirmed that Ajuga iva is a valuable source of essential minerals and is effective in inhibiting the growth of pathogenic fungi.