Antifungal activity of the aqueous ethanol root bark extract of Anthocleista nobilis G. Don

Abstract

Anthocleista nobilis G. Don is a medicinal plant used in the treatment of various ailments including as a poultice for sores. The plant is of the family Loganiaceae, belonging to the order Gentianaceae and found in West Africa. This study was carried out to investigate the activity of the aqueous ethanol extract of the root bark of A. nobilis against various fungal pathogens which are found in the environment that plague humans and animals. Antifungal bioassay was conducted using the agar tube dilution method in which the fungi used in the assay were Trichophyton longifusis, Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Fusarium solani, Microsporum canis and Aspergillus flavus. The extract had inhibitory activity against Trichophyton longifusis and Microsporum canis and had no activity against Candida albicans, Fusarium solani, Candida glabrata and Aspergillus flavus. The root bark of Anthocleista nobilis may have compounds that possess antifungal activity against Trichophyton longifusis and Microsporum canis.