Abstract

PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS AND ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF SELECTED MEDICINAL PLANTS EXTRACTS AGAINST CANDIDA ALBICANS

Nabil Ali Al-Mekhlafi*, Hameed A. Golah, Mona Saad Al-Ezzi, Wasim S. M. Qadi, Ahmed Mediani, Abdulrahman Sharyan, Abrar Sadah, Jabal Al-Batol,
Maram Al-Srori, Maram Al-Qershi, Mohammed Al-Sobli, Mona Al-Kulibi,
Nabil Gadan, Salma Al-Hemiary, Shaima Shobass and Yousra Akrot

ABSTRACT

The traditional medicine plays an important role in primary health care. Many diseases from mild skin conditions to life-threatening blood infections, can be caused by Candida albicans. The widespread use of antifungal drugs can lead to antifungal resistance, particularly in patients with long-term treatment. In the current study, the major phytoconstituents of ten medicinal plants from various families were identified and the antifungal activity of the ethanolic extracts of these medicinal plants was tested against C. albicans species. The phytochemical components of different parts of these plants were tested using standard phytochemical screening methods and the C. albicans strain was used as a subject to assess the anti-Candida activities of plant ethanolic extracts at various concentrations (100, 50, 25, 12.5 and 6.25 mg/mL) by agar well diffusion method. All theselected medicinal plants were found to contain tannins and volatile oils. Steroids and Triterpenoids present in all the selected plants except C. arvensis, S. persica and M. longifolia. Meanwhile, free anthraquinones are absent in all plants except A. fruticosa, P. jaubertii and L. pubescens. Alkaloids were present in all plants except A. fruticosa, C. arvensis, P. jaubertii and P. forskohlii. Saponins and flavonoids were present in 6 of 10 plants, whereas cardiac glycosides were absent in all the selected plants. The results indicated that all the ten plants ethanolic extract showed antifungal activity against C. albicans. The highest potential was observed in the extract of S. persica L and M. longifolia with zone of inhibition of 83 mm and 50 mm, respectively. Based on these results, it can say that these plants have proper antifungal activity and can be considered as a new source for novel antifungal discovery and development for treating resistant human pathogens.

Keywords: Candida albicans; phytochemical; Medicinal plants; antifungal activity.