investigation of antifungal activity of 10 methanol extracts of medicinal herbs

Abstract

An in vitro investigation was carried out to determine the antifungal activity of 10 methanol extracts of medicinal herbs which are commonly used in Iranian traditional medicine.these include:Myrtus communis,rheum ribes,rosa faetida,lawsonia inermis,juniperus sabina,achillea millefolium,zizyphus spina-christi,malva silvestris,arctium lappa and utrica dioica.the fungi tested in vitro were three dermatophytes including:trichophyton mentagrophytes,microsporum gypseum and microsporum canis.methenol extracts of the plants were dossolved in 70% ethanol and added to the sab-dex agar medium before sterilization.evaluation of minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration(MFC)for each extract ,and comparison of tested cases with Griseofulvin,indicated that myrtus extract was the most effective of all plant extracts.however other plant extracts have also shown significant antifungal activity.threrfore,futher investigation was carrird out to check the antifungal activity of Myrtus extract under in vivo condition.for this purpose Guinea pigs were inoculated with fungi suspension.after the appearance of infection,s singns,each animal was treated with either 1% Myrtus extract ointment,1% clotrimazol(positive control) or vaseline (negative control).the average time for treatment with 1% Myrtus extract ointment was shorter than that of 1% clotrimazol,while vasline had no thrapeutic effect during the treatment period at all.