Laboratoire des Sciences du Médicament, Sciences Analytiques et Santé Publique, UFR de Sciences Pharmaceutiques et Biologiques (SPB), Université Félix OUPHOUËT- BOIGNY (UFHB), 22 BP 582 Abidjan 22, Côte d’Ivoire
Background: Following ethnobotanical surveys, Combretum paniculatum Vent (Combretaceae); Trema orientalis (L.) (Cannabaceae) and Duguetia staudtii (Diels & Engl) (Annonaceae) were the plants most cited and recommended in the treatment of various dermatoses, including superficial mycoses. Fungal infections, which are a frequent reason for consultation in dermatology, often have enormous consequences for victims, especially immunocompromised individuals.
Objectives: To evaluate the in vitro antifungal activities of aqueous and hydro-ethanolic extracts of these plants on two dermatophytes (Trichophyton mentagrophytesR, Trichophyton rubrumR) and a yeast Candida albicansR 479 in order to confirm their use in traditional medicine and contribute to the fight against superficial mycoses which are on the rise in Ivory Coast.
Methodology and results: Extracts from each plant were incorporated into Sabouraud agar using the double dilution method in tilted tubes. Dermatophytes (Trichophyton mentagrophytesR; Trichophyton rubrumR) and the yeast Candida albicansR 479 were sensitive to both aqueous and hydro-ethanolic extracts in 70% of the plants studied. However, it was the 70% hydro-ethanolic extracts that were the most active on all fungal strains with lower MICs (between 01.56 and 50 mg/ml); IC50 values ranging from (0.78 to 03.125 mg/ml).
Conclusion and application of results: These results justify the traditional use of these medicinal plants and show that they would constitute a renewable and innovative source of therapeutic molecules that can be used to produce effective antifungals for the treatment of fungal dermatoses.