Comparative analysis on Antifungal activities and Phytochemical Analysis of selected Medicinal plants (leaves extracts) on clinically isolated Candida albicans

Abstract:

Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogen responsible for vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) often called candidiasis. Approximately, 75% of women have been reported to experience episode of viginal candidiasis once in their lifetime. C. albicans was obtained from vaginal swab of pregnant women attending some selected hospitals within Gusau Zamfara State, Nigeria. The C. albicans was identified and characterized by phenotypic, PCR using ITS1 for fungal identification and DNA sequence methods. The organism was tested for susceptibility to aqueous and methanolic leaves extracts of Acacia nilotica, Casia occidentalis and Moringa oleifera using agar well diffusion technique. Extracts of these plants were prepared at different concentrations of 100mg/ml, 200mg/ml and 300mg/ml. The synergistic effects of the plants extracts were also determined at concentrations of Antifungal activities of these plants leaves were compared with that of conventional antifungal drug (fluconazole) used for the treatment of C. albicans .Qualitative phytochemical analysis of both aqueous and methanolic leaves extracts was also carried out. The identity of the organism was confirmed by germ tube formation, PCR with 512 bp and 99.58% identity of DNA sequence on BLAST. Result of antifungal activities of the plants leaves extracts shows that Acacia nilotica had the highest antifungal activity among the three plant extracts, at 300 mg/ml concentration; the plant showed a diameter of zone of inhibition of 38mm for aqueous extract and 30mm for methanol extract respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) for the test organism were carried out. Aqueous extract of Acacia nilotica had an MIC of 4.68 mg/ml followed by the methanol extract with 9.37 mg/ml and MFC of 9.37 mg/ml and 18.75 mg/ml respectively. The result of the synergistic effects of the plants indicated the synergistic antifungal activities of methanolic extracts of Acacia nilotica with Moringa oleifera and Acacia nilotica with Casia occidentalis to have the highest activity on the test organism, with a diameter zone of inhibition of 27 mm at concentration of 200 mg/ml respectively. The result of MIC and MFC indicated that combination of Acacia nilotica with Moringa oleifera of both the extracts have minimum inhibitory and minimum and minimum fungicidal concentrations of 3.12mg and 6.25mg respectively. Fluconazole the conventional antifungal provided a promising antifungal activity with the diameter zone of inhibition of 52mm at concentration of 25mg/ml. However, qualitative phytochemical analysis of the plants revealed the presence of some phytochemical compounds. Aqueous leaves extract of both plants revealed the presence of alkaloids and steroids, the aqueous leaves extract of Acacia nilotica revealed the presence of saponins and cardiac glycosides. The methanolic extract of both the plants revealed the presence of flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids and saponin glycosides. Tannins were also found to be present in all the methanolic extracts of both the plants. Only the leaves extracts of Moringa oleifera were found to contained balsam in both the aqueous and methanol extracts. From the results obtained in this research it can be concluded that the of conventional antifungal drugs for the treatment of fungal infections caused by Candida albicans, proves to be more effective than the use of the test plants though even the test plants prove to be effective but at higher concentration, therefore, this research pave way for other researchers to continue investigations for the most potent antifungal plants for the treatment of candidiasis caused by C. albicans.
Keywords: Antifungal, Phytochemical, Medicinal, Plants, candida albicans

Author(s): Shinkafi , S. A.1*, Salisu, N. 1,Mohammed, N. 1, and Isah, K. 1

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